Kid-Friendly Turkey and Beef Meatloaf

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 90 mins

Total: 110 mins

Servings: 6 servings

Yield: 1 meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of America’s favorite comfort foods. Vegetables and traditional meatloaf flavors highlight this ground turkey and beef combination. A tasty homemade barbecue sauce mixture is used to flavor meatloaf and make a tasty topping.

Processing the vegetables in the food processor helps them blend into the meatloaf nicely. This is a big plus if you have kids who hate seeing chunks of vegetables in their meatloaf or just hate vegetables in general. Feel free to vary the vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef

• 1 pound lean ground turkey

• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 carrot, sliced

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

• 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped or sliced

• 1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

• 4 ounces mushrooms

• 1 cup ketchup

• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard

• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

1. Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 F.

   

2. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or rectangular baking pan or spray it with cooking spray.

   

3. Combine the beef and turkey in a large bowl with the eggs and breadcrumbs. Set aside.

   

4. In a food processor, combine the carrot, onion, garlic, and green pepper. Process until finely chopped.

   

5. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the finely chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

   

6. Meanwhile, process the mushrooms until finely chopped.

   

7. Add them to the vegetables and continue cooking for 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly.

   

8. In a bowl, combine the ketchup with the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper, salt, and black pepper.

   

9. Add about three-quarters of the ketchup mixture to the meat and breadcrumb mixture.

   

10. Add the sautéed vegetables and mushrooms to the meat; mix until well blended.

    

11. Pack the mixture into a loaf pan or shape into a free-form loaf in the rectangular baking pan.

    

12. Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

    

13. Carefully pour off any excess grease. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over the loaf and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

    

14. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

• Mix the meatloaf with your hands or put the mixture in a large food storage bag. Knead the bag to blend the ingredients.
• You may mix a large meatloaf with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer; avoid over-mixing.
• To avoid clogged drains, pour the excess grease into an empty jar or container and dispose of it with the trash. 

Recipe Variations

• Leave the mushrooms out or replace them with more of the included vegetables.
• Use all ground beef or make it with half ground beef and half lean ground pork.
• Add a rib or two of celery to the food processor along with the carrot and other vegetables.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories	507
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g	30%
Saturated Fat 7g	34%
Cholesterol 208mg	69%
Sodium 997mg	43%
Total Carbohydrate 27g	10%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 47g
Vitamin C 18mg	92%
Calcium 87mg	7%
Iron 5mg	28%
Potassium 904mg	19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.