I’ve had a bee in my bonnet for the last few weeks. ย The bee in my bonnet was meatloaf shaped and dang persistent.
I’ll be the first to admit that meatloaf is kind of a weird thing to make these days. ย Is it retro cool or vintage chic yet? ย Or is it still just… meatloaf?
This meatloaf features ground turkey, crispy cooked bacon, deeply caramelized onions, and softened garlic. ย It’s lighter than a beef meatloaf but boy of boy does the bacon pull off a miracle in this meatloaf. ย It’s all the salty and savory I needed to calm the bee in my bonnet.
I imagine that if I had an actual bee in my bonnet, it would be far less delicious and basically a panic situation. But really, why am I wearing a bonnet in the first place? ย Asking for trouble.
Let’s start with chopped onions, garlic, and chopped bacon in a sautรฉ pan. ย It’s a very good beginning!
It would be so tempting to take a fork to this browned goodness, but that would be a mistake. ย That would be where this recipe starts and ends. ย It’s hard to resist spoonful after spoonful. ย Friendly warning.
Torn bread bits are soaked in milk helping to keep the meatloaf light and not so dense. ย Beaten eggs will help bind the loaf together.
Loaves are shaped, rustic style, on a lined baking sheet. ย I cut bacon slices in half and draped them over the unbaked loaves. ย The extra bacon will help keep the meatloaf moist and delicious while the fat absorbs into the meatloaf. ย Trouble, right?
Ketchup, dijon mustard, and a bit of brown sugar are combined in a saucepan and then generously…. seriously generously brushed over the unbaked meatloaf. ย It’s a delicious protective coating that will caramelize in the oven.
After baking the meatloaves (is that a thing?) are browned and rich. ย You can enjoy the same day oooorrrrr refrigerate the loaves, slice them thick the next day and make cold meatloaf sandwiches. ย This recipe makes plenty of portions for a warm meatloaf dinner (with mashed potatoes and gravy like whoa!) and a few sandwiches the following day.
For cold meatloaf sandwiches, I combined toasted white bread, spicy mustard, and big wedges of iceberg lettuce. ย The perfect sandwich situation.
Turkey and Bacon Meatloaf
makes 2 small loaves
2 slices soft white bread, torn into pieces
1 cup whole milk
1 large yellow onion, diced.
1 cup diced raw bacon, plus 3 strips of ย raw bacon cut in half for cooking the loaf
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds ground turkey breast
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Glaze:
1/2 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons dijon mustard
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. ย Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and milk. ย Set aside so the bread can absorb the milk.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, stir together the diced onion, minced garlic, and diced bacon. ย Allow to cook down and brown until the entire mixture is well browned, about 10 minutes. ย Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl combine ground turkey, egg, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. ย Add the milk soaked bread and discard any remaining milk. ย Add the cooked onions, garlic, and bacon. ย Stir together with a large spoon until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
Divide the mixture in half and form each portion into an oblong mound on the prepared baking sheet. ย Top with the bacon strips.
To make the glaze, combine ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. ย Stir together until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is just starting to boil. ย Remove from heat and use a pastry brush to paint a thick layer of glaze onto each loaf.
Bake the meatloaf for about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. ย Allow the loaves to rest for about 20 minutes before slicing and serving. ย Meatloaf can be served warm from the oven or cold from the fridge. ย
64 Responses
It looks so goooooooood. but ground turkey is impossible to get in Australia. turkey in general seems to only be a Christmas thing, and then as a whole bird for roasting. substitution suggestions?
This was fantastic first time making meatloaf…won’t be the last! Dubious husband was very impressed!
WoW ! Look Awesome
Ashna Ash
Ellowmedia : https://www.ellowmedia.com
I make this meatloaf maybe twice a month for dinner, and me and my husband LOVE IT. It’s a staple in our household. It’s my favorite thing to make, i’ve even memorized the recipe because i’ve made it so many times. Before I made this meatloaf I had never had meatloaf at all before, and now I’m totally hooked! Although, whenever I order meatloaf in restaurants now, it’s never even close to how good this recipe is.
I made this for dinner last night with the intention of having leftovers for sandwiches today, but my husband loved it so much he inhaled the second loaf! Thanks for a great recipe!
I accidentally doubled the amount of red pepper flakes and it gave the recipe a real (but not overwhelming) “kick”! I’ve made this 3 or 4 times now.
I made this last night, but I used turkey bacon. It was so delicious! I will definitely make this again! My boyfriend couldn’t stop complimenting me!!!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!!
Great idea to use turkey for meatloaf! We’ve been trying to eat less beef. I guess you need the bacon since the turkey is so lean. We’ll have to try this recipe soon! Thanks!
Hi, I am wondering if you wring out (for lack of a better term) the milk from the bread, or do you leave it very wet? I have made this recipe a million times, thank you, it is delicious, but I always want to ask this question!! My family always like pressed the milk out of the bread, and I menationed this to a friend and she was stunned that i didnt put the wet bread in as is. Thanks!