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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Spaghetti and Turkey Meat Sauce

The best thing about a solid, never-fail, meat sauce is that it is one of the easiest meals to freeze and pull out on a day when you are pressed for time. The sauce gets better with time just like Chinese food. It is easier to go in to the kitchen and prepare something when you know all you have to do is reheat one part and boil water for the other part. And, most importantly, you save money since all you are going on your next shopping trip is more spaghetti noodles.

This sauce is easy in terms of veggies and ingredients. The only problem that I see is the fact that it has to simmer for over an hour and a half, but that is a sacrifice I make for really good sauce. You are rewarded in the end with a healthy, thick sauce with flavor that never goes away.

My biggest dilemma with the sauce is that you will find it hard to stop after one plate.

List of Ingredients: (You should own all these spices already)

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cups finely chopped onions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 lbs ground turkey
• 1 tbsp fresh or dried thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tbsp dried leaf oregano
• 1/2 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 15-ounce cans whole tomatoes, roughly chopped (you can use crushed tomatoes to save time)
  
• 3 15-ounce cans tomato sauce
• 1 6-ounce can tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup dry red wine (Malbec or Sangiovese)
• 1 box thin or regular whole wheat spaghetti
  

Sure, it looks like a lot of ingredients but it really isn't. You should have most of these spices already since they are probably the most commonly used spices in most dishes. If you are wondering why I named two wines, it is because I have had great success with these two wines. They are great in the sauce and go well with the final flavor of the sauce. Plus, you can find great options for under 10 dollars, especially Malbecs like the 2007 Alamos Malbec.

1. In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions to the pot and saute until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir garlic into the pot and cook until the vegetables are wilted, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the ground turkey to the vegetables, stirring to mix and break up the meat, and cook until starting to brown and no longer pink, about 10 minutes.

3. Season the meat with thyme, Italian seasoning, spices and salt to taste.

4. Add all remaining ingredients .

5. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 1 1/2 – 2 1/2 hours, stirring from time to time.

6. Pour sauce over whole wheat spaghetti.

All those ingredients and only 6 steps. Sure, you have to wait a little bit for it to simmer but you can always make it on a Sunday and refrigerate it. It's like living off of pasta and tomato sauce like you did in college but with an adult palate.

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