Healthy, Easy, Low Calorie Turkey Meatloaf

Don't worry, no hockey pucks here.
Your mom will be jealous.
181 calories, 10 g Carb, 15 g Protein

I know the thought of cooking meatloaf gives you chills. You think about all the meatloaves that have been cooked throughout your life. You remember emptying half of the ketchup bottle all over the meatloaf just to make it through dinner. You could have played hockey with the slices of meatloaf. Ask 100 people if they like meatloaf and half will tell you they love it and half tell you they hate it. Could it just be that most people have never had a reliable recipe for meatloaf.

I was in the "didn't like" it category. My mom didn't really consider meatloaf as a necessary recipe in her repertoire. The only exposure I had to it growing up was as a school lunch meatloaf (I'll give you a second to wince.) Or I had the opportunity to order it at a restaurant, but honestly, who orders meatloaf when you are out at a restaurant.

I'll be honest, I was nervous when I decided to give this recipe a shot. I didn't want to end up with a loaf that was going to go uneaten. I altered the recipe a bit to make sure I had a better shot at a moist, meaty loaf. Instead of just adding regular bread crumbs, I diced some wheat bread in to small cubes. I separated the cubes and sprinkled them throughout the turkey mixture. The larger bread cubes absorbed some of the moisture of the turkey as well as the milk. This little cheat along with making sure I didn't let the loaf stay in the oven longer than it should, resulted in the best meatloaf I've ever had. My girlfriend agreed with me. She already had the ketchup ready. She didn't even need one drop.

Here is the simple recipe. Give it a shot.

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
• 2 slices whole wheat bread, diced in to smallest cubes possible
• 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup skim milk
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten
• 3 Tbsp Ketchup
• 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp ground pepper
• 8x5" Loaf Pan
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 8x5" loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion 4-5 mins or until tender.

3. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well. Shape into a loaf and transfer to the loaf pan.

4. Bake until browned and cooked through, 50-60 minutes. If you have a thermometer, look for an internal temperature of 170 F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Again, make sure to take the meatloaf out once the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees. You will not need any condiments or even a glass of water because it will be juicy enough to get you through the meal.


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