Meatloaf – Turkey, Pork and Veal Recipe

This is a recipe for meatloaf that combines turkey, veal, pork and a variety of ingredients that add flavor, moisture and texture.  Instead of using the traditional ground beef, I use ground turkey breast, which is 99% fat free. Be sure to look for extra lean veal and pork.  My mixture rendered next to nothing in fat when baked.  In this meatloaf, I add water chestnuts and sun-dried tomatoes.  And for moisture (and additional flavor), I add plain fat-free Greek yogurt, canned stewed tomatoes, and canned diced green chilies.  You can prepare the ingredients in about 10-15 minutes with very little fuss.

I have always made my meatloaf with a cooking sauce made of tomato soup and mushroom soup.  For this recipe I now use healthier soups that are lower in sodium and fat.  I say the sauce is optional, but for my preference, I would not make it without it.  If you do, you might want to make a sauce out of canned unsalted diced tomatoes, tomato paste, little water and Worchester sauce.  I think it needs the added moisture of the sauce for the last stage of cooking.  And it adds an extra layer of flavor and moisture when served.

This is a great make ahead meal that can be prepared the day before.  Simply prepare and cook the meatloaf as instructed, and when done cool it slightly, cover it tightly and place the meatloaf in the refrigerator.  When ready to serve simply slice and heat in the microwave oven.

Enjoy!

Meatloaf – Turkey, Veal and Pork Recipe

Makes 6 – 8 servings (depending on how thick you slice the meatloaf)

 

½ Cup Old-fashioned oats

½ Cup Dry seasoned breadcrumbs, salt-free variety; plus extra if needed
1 ½ Tbls. Dehydrated minced onions (can be found in the spice isle)
½ Tsp. Garlic powder
½ Tsp. Onion powder
¼ Tsp. Kosher salt
¼ Tsp. Ground black pepper
1 Can (14.5-Oz.) Stewed tomatoes, no salt added variety (crush the tomatoes)
1 Can (4.25-Oz.) Green chilies, diced
1 Egg, slightly beaten
3 Oz. Plain Greek yogurt, 0%-fat
1 Tsp. Worchester Sauce
1 Cup Chopped water chestnuts; ¼ - ½ inch in size (use the sliced chestnuts and then chop them)
½ Cup Chopped sun-dried tomatoes, ¼ - ½ inch in size
1 Lb. Ground turkey breast, 99% fat-free
1/3 Lb. Ground pork, extra lean
1/3 Lb. Ground veal, extra lean
1 Tbls. Tomato paste
1 Tsp. Balsamic vinegar

Cooking Sauce ingredients and preparation: (this is optional, but I always make meatloaf with this sauce)

1 Can  (10-3/4-Oz.) Cream of Mushroom soup (Campbell’s Healthy Request condensed soup)
1 Can (10-3/4-Oz.) Tomato soup (Campbell’s Healthy Request condensed soup)
1-1/2 Can Water

In a mixing bowl, combine both soups and water; whisk into a smooth mixture.  Set aside for later use.
 

Meatloaf preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare a 2 ½ quart (with 2 inch sides) baking dish by lightly coating the bottom with canola oil. This will help prevent the meatloaf from sticking.  Set the dish aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine the first 7 ingredients; mix to combine.  To that, add the stewed tomatoes, chilies, egg, yogurt, Worchester sauce, chestnuts and dried tomatoes.  Mix all ingredients together until the mixture is completely combined.

To the mixture, add the turkey, pork and veal, and with a wooden spoon (or your hands) mix everything together until all ingredients are well incorporated.  With your hands, mold the mixture into the shape of a log.  If you find the mixture is not holding together, add additional breadcrumbs until it can hold the shape.  Transfer the meatloaf to the baking dish, and reshape as necessary.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato paste and vinegar and mix together.  Spread the mixture evenly over the entire top of the meatloaf.

Place the meatloaf into the preheated oven.  Bake for 40 minutes.

After 40 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees. 

It is now that you pour the sauce over and along the sides of the meatloaf.  Continue to bake for an additional 35 minutes and the sauce is nice and bubbly.  When done, remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 – 15 minutes.  Slice the meatloaf and serve it topped with the cooking sauce.

You can serve this with a side of mashed potatoes, rice; or for leftovers, serve it open-faced on a slice of bread.

The Best Lower-Fat Italian Meatball Recipe

I call these meatballs lower-fat because the meat mixture is prepared with both lean ground turkey and lean ground sirloin.  I do use parmesan cheese in them, but it is a low fat variety.  If you wish, you can use all ground turkey, but the texture will not be the same.  Turkey can, at times, have a gamey flavor; combining the two meats this way reduces the gaminess.
 

These meatballs can be made the day, or days before, which is what I did.  I made them, cooled them and then froze them.  To freeze, place the meatballs on a sheet pan in the freezer; once they begin to freeze transfer them to an airtight freezer container and place in the freezer until ready to use.  To thaw, I placed them in a covered container in the refrigerator until they were completely thawed and heated them in a marinara sauce.

 

I must admit, I tried one of the meatballs when they came out of the oven, and couldn’t wait to serve them.  In fact, I was so happy with the meatballs that I served them two days in a row.  The first day we had spaghetti and meatballs, and the second day we had meatball subs.

 

Enjoy!

 

The Best Lower-Fat Italian Meatball Recipe

Makes about 20 meatballs

1 Lb. Lean Ground Turkey

1 Lb. Lean Ground Sirloin, use 96% lean
1 Tbls. Crushed dried basil
1 Tsp. Dried oregano
1 Tsp. Crushed dried rosemary
1-1/2 Tsp. Dried fennel seed
¼ Tsp. Sea Salt, fine grind
¼ Tsp. Fresh ground black pepper
½ Cup Seasoned breadcrumbs – no salt variety
½ Cup 1% milk
1 Raw egg, beaten
1 Tbls. Ketchup
1/3 Cup Shredded low-fat Parmesan cheese
Pinch Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line a baking sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Mix together until all is incorporated, do not over-mix.  Shape the meat mixture into 1-1/2 inch balls and place on lined baking sheet pan.

 

Roast the meatballs in the oven for 35 – 40 minutes, turning them over halfway through.

 

Remove from the oven and serve immediately, or cool and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

 

Serving suggestions:

• Serve alone with marinara sauce
• Serve on top of whole grain spaghetti
• Meatball subs – serve on whole grain sausage rolls topped with marina sauce, and a small bit of low-fat cheese melted over the meatball.  I wrap the rolls halfway up with aluminum foil and place them in a preheated oven until the cheese melts.  The foil also makes the rolls a little crunchy.
• Meatball appetizers.  Make the meatballs smaller, and when you take them out of the oven, place a toothpick in the center and serve your favorite marinara sauce and/or honey mustard dipping sauce in separate bowls on the side.

Homemade Turkey Helper – A One-Skillet Meal

This is a great go-to meal when you want something quick, easy, and nutritious.  Leftovers are great for work the next day; simply reheat in the microwave oven. I developed this recipe by trial and error many years ago.  At the time, I used to make a boxed brand skillet mixture and just got tired of the taste.  I liked the one-skillet concept so I developed my own.  I have been making it ever since, only now I make a healthier version; I use low-fat tomato soup, brown rice, and ground turkey instead of ground beef. 

Enjoy!

Homemade Turkey Helper – A One-Skillet Meal

Serves 5 – 6 People

2 Tbls. Extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. Lean ground turkey
½ Tsp. Fresh ground pepper
¾ Tsp. Garlic powder
¼ Tsp. Kosher salt
½ Medium onion, diced
2 Stalks Celery, diced
½ Green bell pepper, diced
½ Cup Brown Rice
¾ Tsp. Dried basil, crushed
½ Tsp. Dried oregano, crushed
1 (10 ¾ ounce) Can Tomato soup; low-fat and lower sodium variety
1 ¼ Cups Water
1 to 1 ½  Cups Frozen tender sweet peas or frozen sweet corn

1 to 2 Tbls. Parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Heat a 12 inch non-stick skillet on medium high.  Add olive oil to skillet; spread the oil coating the bottom of the skillet.  Add the ground turkey, ground pepper, garlic powder and salt; mix with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook just until turkey begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Add onions and celery; continue to cook until onions become translucent, about 3 minutes. Add bell pepper and rice; cook another 2 minutes. Add basil, oregano, tomato soup and water to the mixture, stir to combine.

 

Bring mixture to a boil,reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 15 minutes.  Add the frozen peas, or corn to the mixture; cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until rice becomes tender.  Top with the grated cheese (optional ingredient) and serve.

Turkey Breakfast Patties

These ground turkey breakfast patties make one of my favorite homemade breakfast sandwiches. I developed this recipe in an attempt to make a healthy and satisfying quick breakfast meal that I can take to work each day. I have been making these patties for years. I tried to make the patties without salt, but they were lacking in flavor. To punch the flavor up a bit, I occasionally make these patties by adding 2-tbls. Of ketchup to the mix, and omit the water.

The night before my workweek begins I prepare and cook the patties, and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator. I keep the patties in the refrigerator for 4 days, then I wrap each patty individually and freeze them (they freeze well). Each morning I heat one patty in the microwave and place between two slices of toasted thin sliced whole wheat bread to make a breakfast sandwich.

Note: The texture is not the same as a pork patty, as the turkey tends to blend into a smooth mixture. When making these patties try to incorporate all the ingredients throughout with as little mixing as possible.

You can also make these patties for dinner and serve them on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomato.

 Hopefully, you will enjoy these patties as much as I do!

What makes this healthy:

• I use ground turkey instead of pork, and they are homemade, and not the traditional packaged sausage

Turkey Breakfast Patties

Makes 5-6 servings

1 to 1 - 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (93% fat free)
3/4 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. poultry seasoning (no salt added)
1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

1 tbls. extra virgin olive oil

2 tbls. cold water

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly.  Flatten mixture in an even round, divide into six sections.  Roll each section into a ball, and flatten each into a ½ inch thick patty.  Place each patty onto a plate.  Cover with plastic wrap, place in refrigerator overnight. 

When ready to prepare, place each patty on a heated non-stick 12” skillet and fry on medium to low heat until cooked through, flipping once (about 20 - 25 minutes, and no longer pink inside).