Chris's Incredible Italian Turkey Meatloaf
A household favorite, I created this recipe for turkey sausage meatloaf after giving up flour, cheese, and most sugar. It is a turkey meatloaf with an Italian touch.
A household favorite, I created this recipe for turkey sausage meatloaf after giving up flour, cheese, and most sugar. It is a turkey meatloaf with an Italian touch.
Super Good. Used Italian Bread Crumbs instead of Oatmeal & Lipton Onion Soup Mix instead of Onion since some family members are not fans of chunks of onions. This was a big hit.
Read MoreThe recipe as is was not that impressive, thus 3 stars. However the sauce was very good and with some modifications I think it would be a good meal for our family. I followed the advice of other reviewers and omitted the milk - this was a good call, the consistency of the loaf was perfect and made great sandwiches the next day. I also omitted the italian seasoning, and next time would go for maybe 1/2# of turkey sausage, and up the plain turkey. I think those are the only necessary changes - the sauce was great, the consistency was good, it just was too italian seasoned for me, and I skipped the extra seasoning even. The oats blended in really well.
Read MoreSuper Good. Used Italian Bread Crumbs instead of Oatmeal & Lipton Onion Soup Mix instead of Onion since some family members are not fans of chunks of onions. This was a big hit.
Because I'm on Weight Watchers, I substituted fat-free egg substitute for the real eggs, soy milk for the cow's milk, and took pains to use the lowest calorie spaghetti sauce I could find (which turned out to be Classico's Fire-Roasted Tomato and Garlic) and the 93% fat-free ground turkey. It tasted *amazing*, especially when you remeber how bland turkey can be. Not so here! It never firmed enough up in the oven to slice cleanly without falling apart - it was a touch mushy, which means no leftover meatloaf sandwiches. I think leaving the milk out might help with that issue.
My family Loved it! It was flavorful and moist. We also thought that the texture was just fine. Now, my apologies because I intended on staying close to the original recipe but due to circumstances some things were modified...I did use 1 and 1/2 tsp. of the Italian seasoning in the meat (after reading some of the other reviews) and 3 cloves of minced garlic. I used 1 pound pork sausage with the ground turkey, because that's what I had. The sauce for the top was modified because I don't buy sauce, but the sauce I made was simple and completely winged so anyone can do it in a pinch. And lastly I did double the hot sauce drops. The meatloaf was much larger then I was expecting and at 350 degrees it took around 2 hours to bake. If you're in need of the Simple sauce...I used 1-14oz can diced tomatoes, 1-6oz can tomato paste, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp. basil and 1/4 tsp thyme.
I just made this for dinner tonight. Yummy! I loved the way the oats bound everything together - and you couldn't even tell they were there once it was cooked. I also added a little shredded carrot to increase the veggie factor and add a little more color to the mix. As other reviewers said, I didn't have liquid smoke, so I used BBQ sauce for the topping - delish! It adds just the right amount of interest to the topping. Did I already say yummy? Yummy!
I always make meatloaf with ground turkey and ground pork, but my husband and I really enjoyed this version with the mild turkey sausage. I followed the instructions exactly and the result was YUMMY! I don't know how kids might like this recipe due to the spicy tomato based sauce.
I loved this. Even as leftovers. Quick and easy to prepare. I tried with bread crumbs, but it was more mushy. The oats give it great texture and keep the perfect moisture. Don't put too much liquid smoke in the sauce, because it easily can become overbearing. It does add something unique to the recipe though.
definitely yummers! easily halved the recipe -- just scale for 3 instead of 6. (btw, 2 italian sausages equal half a pound. i used jennie-o turkey italian links) beside that i followed the recipe exactly, well, except i didn't use any milk. oh, and i sauteed the onion & fresh garlic instead of using powder --the texture was perfect, the taste outstanding. my family loved it. i'm looking forward to a sammie for lunch! yum
I do not like meatloaf in general, but I loved this recipe! The turkey sausage really makes a difference. I was out of oats, so used 1 C. of italian bread crumbs instead, and it was just delicious. My picky kids and husband loved it as well, this will definitely become a staple in my home.
I love this recipe. My husband doesn't eat red meat so I am constantly looking for new turkey recipes. I've tried to make a turkey meatloaf before, but it didn't turn out anything like this! I only put half the sauce on before cooking and leave the rest as a side to spoon on by anyone who wants more after it's cooked. I layered strips of roasted red and yellow peppers over the sauce before baking. Next time I want to make meatballs, this is the recipe I'll be using! For fun, I would add some freshly grated parmesan cheese for the meatballs. Thanks Chris!
This very good and FILLING. The only modifications I made were for the fact that the ground turkey and turkey sausage come in 20oz packages from my grocery store. I increased it to 3 eggs and 2 cups of oats and a whole vidalia. I did put just a little spaghetti sause in the mixture... it was PERFECT. Makes a lot.
FINALLY! I have searched and searched for a turkey meatloaf my family would eat and here it is. I followed the directions as written. Delicious! Thank you Chris!!!
I only had 1 cup of rolled oats, so used crumbled stale bread for the other 1/2 cup and it still came out great. I also don't keep liquid smoke at the house, so used 2 tablespoons of hickory smoked BBQ sauce (and upped the hot sauce to 1/2 teaspoon) and it really deepened the flavor of the sauce. Next time, I think I might add 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese to the meat mixture for a little more flavor. Overall a simple, good recipe that I'll be keeping!
This is definitely a favorite in my household. The first time I made it I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly and got rave reviews from several friends who tried it. Since then I've made small adjustments to the recipe to suit the tastes of my family and it's always a hit. Even my mother-in-law who is a fabulous cook and doesn't like most other people's food loved it and raved about it to her family members.
I use 1/2 turkey and 1/2 lean ground beef. The meatloaf itself has a potential to be a little on the bland side, so I add a little more spice to the meat with a touch of liquid smoke. I cook for 2 single men who ask for it week after week. It reheats well.
The recipe as is was not that impressive, thus 3 stars. However the sauce was very good and with some modifications I think it would be a good meal for our family. I followed the advice of other reviewers and omitted the milk - this was a good call, the consistency of the loaf was perfect and made great sandwiches the next day. I also omitted the italian seasoning, and next time would go for maybe 1/2# of turkey sausage, and up the plain turkey. I think those are the only necessary changes - the sauce was great, the consistency was good, it just was too italian seasoned for me, and I skipped the extra seasoning even. The oats blended in really well.
Fantastic! My fiancee (who is a beef lover) frowned when I told him that tonight's meatloaf was actually turkey.....but he changed his mind once he tasted it:) He LOVED it and so did I. It does make quite a bit, so I would suggest seperating into two dishes, but I used every ingredient exactly and it was delicious!
SO great! My husband & kids liked it so much last week that they asked me to make it again tonight. I used ground turkey breakfast sausage, and l left out the liquid smoke (didn't have any in-hand). Everything else was followed exactly. YUMMM!
Confining this recipe to just meatloaf would be a shame. I'm going to be making meatballs and turkey burgers, for sure! For interests sake, I used fresh garlic instead of powder, also added sauteed mushrooms as well as a 1/4 cup of fresh chopped basil. (Just happened to have these ingredients in the fridge that needed using) This will be one of my go-to recipes from now on. Even my 17 month old son LOVED it!
I've made this a couple times, and we LOVE IT. I used regular Italian sausage (not turkey), just because that's what I had. I also took other suggestions and used a package of onion soup mix instead of the onion. I didn't have oatmeal, so I just used regular bread crumbs (slices of white bread that were starting to go stale ground up in my mini-chopper). I also didn't have Italian seasoning, so I just sprinkled some parsely, basil and oregano in. I made HALF of the glaze - just using 1 small can of store-bought tomato sauce with the Worcestershire sauce...I put a few dashes of hot sauce in, but I didn't have liquid smoke, so I just put in some creole seasoning. It gave it such a nice flavor, and the glaze "baked on" since it was the lesser amount. One key thing that I did (that was a lesson learned from the first time) - instead of making 1 big meatloaf, I made 2 smaller loaves in the same pan. Then the baking time did take about an hour. Like some of the other commenters, I found that the baking time for a single loaf was far longer than these instructions say....but split in 2, it's about perfect. THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER!! :)
We don't care for oatmeal in our meatloaf, so I used crushed buttery round crackers instead. I did omit the Liquid Smoke, only because I had just run out from another recipe. The flavor was there, just not as strong as I would have liked. The meatloaf was real wet and I felt there was too much sauce on top of the meatloaf that the meatloaf was just floating in. If I make this again, I'd probably cut out the milk called for and use a cup of the spaghetti sauce in the meatloaf as well as on top. I would double the spices, too. I liked the uniqueness of this meatloaf, I just think I'd like to play around with the recipe a bit and try it again.
It's the new fav around the house. I was secptical but it really is amazing
By far the best turkey meatloaf I've ever tried! Replaced the onion with grated carrot because we don't like onion, and just used a can of tomato paste to top it. Looking forward to the leftovers and will definitely make again! Thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful! Best turkey meatloaf we've tried. Tasted lke a giant meatball. I used homemade marinara with lots of basil and garlic. This is a keeper for us!
I don't usually do so well with things that require baking - and unfortunately this was no exception. I accidentally put in 2.5 total pounds of meat (I used ground turkey that was pre-seasoned with Italian flavors) and even with that huge mistake it was SO SO good. The sauce was key (I used 2 parts spaghetti sauce and 1 part BBQ b/c I didn't have smoke flavoring and I used Sriracha as my hot pepper sauce). I love that it uses oatmeal too! Thanks for posting!
This has a very good taste. We loved it and will definitely make it again. THANKS!
This is now our new favorite meatloaf. Make it without modifications, it is perfect as is. :)
This recipe was amazing!! My whole family loved it including my picky sister and my picky husband! There was hardly and leftovers. Highly recommend! YUM
Pretty tasty! I followed the recipe, but added 1/3 cup of finely grated carrot and one chopped roasted red pepper for color and more veggie content. Also added chopped fresh parsley from our herb garden. My husband even liked it the next day on a sandwich!
This was very good. I followed the recipe exactly as indicated--I like the idea of keeping it as healthy and unfattening as possible. I thought it was great. I may have added a little more of the indicated spices when I felt like it but I was going for keeping it the same as written and assessing the taste.
I love this. It's easy and so good. I use Ritz crackers instead of oats and onion powder instead of real onions. Joy of cooking for picky eaters. Big hit in our home.
I have made this recipe several times now and it has become a favorite! I make it exactly as written and it's fabulous every time. I use Trader Joe's 99% lean ground turkey along with a very good Italian turkey sausage that my local grocery store carries. I had tried other turkey meatloaf before but none compares to this and I tossed those old recipes because I certainly have no need to make those anymore.
Probably one of the best meatloaf recipes I have ever made. It was met with rave reviews from my boyfiend. I will definetly make this one again. I did make it in a standard meatloaf pan so I ended up cooking it for about 90 minutes and it came out perfectly!
Soo good. I use venison sausage instead of turkey sausage (because i have a hunter in the family and always have to find venison recipes) but I keep the rest as is. My 9 and 4-year old love it. I'm going to make meatballs with it tonight!
This meatloaf is ultra moist. I did not have the turkey sausage and I didn't have enough Worcestershire sauce. I omitted the sausage and used Teriyaki sauce. It turned out fine. I would make this again, however, I felt that (for my household), it could have used a bit more flavor like more garlic and some black pepper. Nice recipe.
This is a fantastic recipe. It has given me ideas for other meatloaf twists with different ethnic sausages: andouille with a creole topping (substitute cayenne for the italian seasoning), chorizo with a salsa topping (substitute mexican chili powder for the italian seasoning) and bratwurst with a mushroom cream sauce topping (substitute powdered mustard for the italian seasoning). I am still working on a substitute for the worcestershire for each of the variations and will post those recipes when I figure it out.
I used 1.5 lbs of ground turkey and no turkey sausage since I didn't have any. I just topped with ketchup since it was for my kids and they wouldn't care for a fancier sauce. Everyone was happy.
Probably one of the top 3 meatloaves I've ever made. The consistency was fantastic and the flavor spectacular. I made a few modifications to the recipe though (left out the turkey sausage but added fennel for flavor, sautéed onion in extra virgin olive oil and added some garlic and fresh chopped spinach to the pan). I also placed a few pieces of fresh mozzarella on the top just before I took it out of the oven so it could melt. So good it I almost forgot it was turkey!
a good meatloaf, needed something in my opinion, but boyfriend is a lot stingier with the herbs and spices than i am and my hands were gooey from mixing it.
this recipe was great :) my husband and i changed some ingredients based on our taste...but overall awesome! also, we stuck with the oats to soak up the juicy-ness yet keep it most.
This has become my go to best all around meat eaters meatloaf. I would not change a thing
This is a winner, folks! I made it last night and received rave reviews from my family. It looked beautiful, sliced nicely and was incredibly tasty. The only changes I made were to substitute fresh crushed garlic for the garlic powder and to add 1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley to the loaf. I will be making this often!
very tasty. only thing I did not like was the sauce. The liquid smoke killed the true taste. I removed that and the sauce was awesome.
OMG!!!! With many failed efforts of using more Ground Turkey instead of Beef, this here is a sure fire WINNNNNER!!! I've not only made this as the instructions, I've made my own several twists. This is a favorite with my "Recipe Club" at work. I now have the non believers believing that Turkey can taste wonderful. If you like spice, try dicing a jalapeno and mixing it with the turkey. Or instead of the tomato sauce topping, I've made a Pomegranate Balsamic Glaze *wonderful*.
Wonderful recipe! I followed it, except I doubled the Italian seasoning and added 4 cloves crushed garlic. I was worried about the oatmeal, but it did a wonderful job binding the loaf together, and my two finicky teenaged boys never knew it was in there! Thanks Chris!!
This has become a household favorite for us too! I always half the recipe (using 1 pound of ground turkey and omitting the turkey sausage). Sometimes I'll add a layer of cheese in the middle of the loaf, yum!
This is a great recipe! Turkey meatloaf can be very bland and this recipe helped to put a kick in the flavor. I used hot turkey sausage to keep the fat content down and skipped on the liquid smoke since I did not have any. Be sure to use a thick marinara sauce to avoid a soupy result. I poured off excess liquid 40 minutes into baking (which took me 1.25 hours at 375 degrees. Leftovers are also great!
We really wanted to like this. It has everything in it that we like. It was nowhere near my expectations. Glad I tried it, but won't make again.
This a great recipe that I've made many times. I've modified it for our taste by using hot Italian turkey sausage and by spicing up the sauce with crushed red pepper. I'm not a liquid smoke person and can't imagine that using it would improve it much. Give it try...
I have to admit I did not make this recipe exactly as directed. I used ground turkey and chicken sausage instead of turkey sausage. And I used a bit more sauce than indicated just to "finish off" the jar. Alas I did not like the results, although my husband did. I found the texture of the chicken sausage unappealing. So if you try this recipe be cautious with substitutions.
Very good recipe. I was a little worried about how the oats would turn out so I only used 1c of them. As for the seasoning, I didn't measure them. I used garlic salt, pepper and italian seasoning and just seasoned the meat mixture. The onions cooked well and the oats weren't noticeable. Look forward to making this one again.
WOW! My husband and I are watching our fat and cholesterol intake, so this was right up our alley. I was leary about a turkey meatloaf for fear it would be dry and tasteless...BOY I was WRONG! This is great. My supermarket did not have italian turkey sausage, so I used regular sweet Italian sausage. Removing the casings was surprisingly easy. It had to cook an hour and a half though. Otherwise, I adhered to the recipe. It came out perfect and both my picky husband and picky daughter ate it all. One note: 2 pounds of meat, plus the oats makes a GIANT meatloaf. We barely ate half of it. If you are cooking for a small family, you may want to consider halving the recipe. Great meatloaf!
Delicious! I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter- I had to substitute pork sausage for turkey, and spicy BBQ sauce instead of smoke flavoring. Worked out well, though I still want to try it with the turkey sausage. I made two smaller loaves instead of 1 big one and cooked at 350 for 50 minutes. Only critique is that 2 cups of spaghetti sauce made way too much sauce, and masks the other flavorings. I poured a liberal amount over the uncooked loaves and still had a good bit left over for serving. Next time I'll reduce the amount of red sauce and play with the proportions of the other ingredients.
Love this recipe! So easy to make and taste great! A few things I did differently based on previous reviews: First I used eggs whites to cut calories. Next I only used 1/4 cup fat free milk. Finally, I added a bit more onion than called for (might even add more next time!). A few things I plan to try next time: First, I am going to add about a 1/4-1/2 of the sauce into the meat mixture before putting in the dish (to add even more flavor). Next, I think about a 1/4 cup chopped Sweet red pepper would make a great addition in the meat mixture. This is a great healthy, filling dish!! Will make again and again!
This is the best turkey meatloaf that I've made. My husband had 3 helpings. I thought that the glaze was really unique, since it was smoking and spicy instead of the usual ketchup. I used a little bit of browning sauce in the glaze instead of liquid smoke and added some additional hot sauce. Very tasty.
The Best Meatloaf I have ever had!! I kept to the recipe as it called, no subs, no additions. I promise you won't have any of the problems that others have said if you stick to it. Can't taste the oats, smoke not over powering and it only took the 60 mins. I think those that had problems were those that made changes. I do also agree with many others, Great for Meatballs!
I'm a first time mom and I've been "trying" to cook for my family lol. I tried this recipe last night and it was a hit! :) My husband took leftovers for lunch today ;)
Incredible is right! I didn't make any modifications to this recipe, and it was very tasty. Consistency was good, not mushy at all. I will make this again.
The Italian Sausage made it waaaay too mushy for me. And I couldn't find any Italian Turkey Sausage that didn't' have pork casings.
This tasted really good and was really moist. It was difficult to come accross liquid smoke flovoring so I substituted some hickory smoke BBQ sause instead. Overall a really easy recipee and my husband LOVED it!!
This took about forty five minutes longer to cook and was a bit odd in flavor. We didn't care for the smoky marinara sauce and the meat itself was just okay.
I halved the recipe because it is just hubby and me. The only substitution I made was bbq sauce instead of liquid smoke (don't have) and because I halved the recipe I used only the turkey sausage. This was fantastic!! it is now my go to recipe for meatloaf!! It was moist, flavorful and great the next day for sandwiches. Thanks for sharing!
this was an AWESOME spin on regular meatloaf...I cooked mine at 375 for an hour, adding the sauce to the top 1/2 way through because we like a firmer meatloaf. I also added 4 minced garlic cloves and a whole palm full of Italian seasoning. I used bbq sauce in place of the smoke...it was just incredible and the leftovers today are even better. Like meatball sandwiches? TRY THIS!
this is one of the best turkey meatloaf recipes that I have ever came across. I followed the recipe step by step and my meatloaf came out so juicy and flavorful!!!
Very good! Even my picky eater said she liked this better than my regular beef meatloaf recipe. I made this pretty much according to directions except the sausage was pork sausage since that's all I had and I did reduce the milk a bit. Very tasty, good texture, and no trouble with it falling apart. I did skip the glaze because we prefer brown gravy for our meatloaf. I will be making this again. Thanks!
This was a good recipe, I took the tips from others and added less liquid. A very unique and new way to eat meatloaf. Thanks for sharing.
Wow!! Absolutely incredible! the second best meatloaf I've had in my life! Hubby definitely loved it and wants me to make it again. Used a little bit of the onion soup mix n some chopped onion. I only had half of the rolled oats so I used the other half with regular breadcrumbs. This ones a keeper!
This would be great just the way its written although I recommend, for those who object to the rolled oats texture, that the oats are pulsed a bit finer...this produces a more satisfying texture and incorporates the oats nicely. Do this in a blendtec or blender. I, however, modified the recipe for my 'blood type' diet and used pureed artichoke hearts (for red sauce) and goat milk yogurt (for the milk). Thanks for the basics!
This meatloaf was incredible. The Italian flair made me not want to stop eating it. I will definitly make this again.
I'm kind of embarrassed to say this was my first meatloaf. And I'm excited to say it passed our test. My family and I. This is really good.. I only changed one thing.. I added 5 cheeses and Viola... Perfecto!!!
This wasn't bad. I thought I'd try something other than the normal beef meatloaf, but I think I'll stick to beef. Thanks for the recipe anyways.
This is a really good meatloaf and I loved the addition of the liquid smoke and the hot sauce. I did add more than suggested and also put some of the tomato sauce into the meat which made it even more moist. Thank you Chris!!
We have had this several times now. We make our own Italian sausage, and I used Italian bread crumbs in place of the oats. Delicious! Thank you
My husband and I loved this meatloaf and loved that it was lower in fat than traditional recipes. I made a couple of adjustments because of what I had on hand. I used steel cut oats, and instead of milk, I used light Italian dressing for liquid and seasoning. I also baked a little longer than suggested, because it didn't seem done after 50 minutes. I was afraid that much sauce would make it soupy, but it thickened up in the oven and came out perfectly. I'll make this again.
Excellent recipe. Followed it to a "T." Had lots of leftovers (which was fine) so we ate it all week. Great with red skinned garlic mashed potatoes.
I recomend this, its very good and yet healthy too. I will say that it went a little awry along the way and was too thin so I defrosted more meat and added that and bread crumbs but since we like lots of flavor I had already doubled the spices anyway and it came out fine but made a TON. It was too much for one meatloaf so used half to do a regular meatloaf and then put the rest into a mini loaf tin to make mini loaves to freeze. Will definately make again.
Seasoning wise, the recipe is great. However, I did not like the texture of the oatmeal. I typically use breadcrumbs in my meatloaf and will do the next time I make this. A nice alternative to "beef."
I made this recipe, with a couple changes for personal tastes, a few days ago. It was yummy! Both my husband and son loved it. We made scrumptious meatloaf sandwiches for dinner last night. The changes I made were to use onion soup mix instead of the onion and salt, and to use bbq sauce for the topping. Thanks for this recipe. It will become a standard in our house.
I made this exact to the recipe and it was fabulous! I kept sneaking pieces of it the next day -- had to stop so I'd have enough for a second dinner for the family. Makes great cold meatloaf sandwiches, too. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
Delicious! I used spicy turkey sausage with the ground turkey. I also added chopped red and green peppers. This recipie was easy and it made a lot.
My family and I did not like this meatloaf. It came out too mushy. Will not make again.
Excellent meatloaf! I am normally not a fan of meatloaf but I've made this several times. This meatloaf also freezes and re-heats wonderfully. I will make this meatloaf again and again. The first time I used chicken italian sausages and it kept the meatloaf very moist.
I didn’t have sausage so I upped the Italian seasoning and added fennel seed and oregano. Came out moist and great texture and great flavor.
I made the recipe as stated. My family did not like the texture and the meat component was lacking in flavor. We did like the sauce, however, so we'll finish the rest tonight; but I won't be making this again.
My husband especially loved this because he really likes sausage. I thought it was pretty good too. My grocery store didn't have any turkey sausage yesterday so I used light mild Italian pork sausage and it was good. Next time I'll add some fresh garlic instead of the powder.
Not a meatloaf fan, but make it for my loved ones who are. This recipe is the best meatloaf I've made. Made the recipe as is and tweaked it the second time by adding onion powder and 3 tbs of italian dressing . Both were enjoyed.
Added bread crumbs and kept the oats too because it felt too wet and was afraid it wouldn't maintain loaf shape while cooking
My husband loved it!!I substituted crackers for the oatmeal, and left out the hot sauce. I'll definitely make this one again.
Mushy and uninspiring taste. Maybe beef would save it. I am a ground turkey lover, but this recipe was not quite right for it.
My family loved it! I put the sauce on half. Added about 2 cups of fresh spinach to it because I’m always trying to add veggies...turned out really good.
Easy to make and very good.
I have never been a fan of any meatloaf until I tried this recipe! My husband and I both loved it so much that I have made it 3 times in one month! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
Very tasty. I followed the recipe exactly. My husband had 3 helpings. this will go into our permanent rotation.
Are you sure? Removing from Saved Items will permanently delete it from all collections. View My Collections