Turkey meatloaf

Meatloaf recipe

Meatloaf is the kind of meal served to a typical suburban family by a “mom” in an American sitcom. It’s presentation may be greeted with a plaintive, “Meatloaf again?” followed by canned laughter. But don’t let meatloaf’s somewhat uninspiring moniker and televisual reputation put you off – there’s a reason this dish is a classic, and that’s because done right, it’s perfection: tender and juicy, full of hidden veggies, and with a sweet tangy glaze kids will love. Add some mashed potato and steamed veg or salad and this is comfort food at its best.

There are many theories, competing histories and possible origin stories about the beginnings of the humble meatloaf – there’s even a book about it, A Meatloaf in Every Oven by Frank Bruni and Jennifer Steinhauer. An early version may have emerged in Europe around the 5th century, a dish of meats, nuts, fruits and seasonings, and many cuisines have their own versions, from Italy to Chile.

What seems clear is that, like soups, stews and other pleasing peasant foods, the meatloaf has always been a tasty and practical way to stretch meat a bit further, use up odds and ends of veggies and feed the family. It became a staple in America during the Depression, helping to feed more hungry mouths with less protein, and by the 1950s most home cooks had their own tweaked, tried and true recipe. Meatloaf could be found at school cafeterias, roadside diners and dinner tables alike.

According to sources, the best-known American iteration of meatloaf began with German migrants, who combined pork and cornmeal in colonial times in a dish known as scrapple. The first recorded version, dating to the late 1870s, contained chopped meat (any kind was acceptable), onion, milk-soaked bread and egg and was served for breakfast.

Easy meatloaf making

The elements that cemented meatloaf’s place in America’s comfort-food canon remain: it’s simple, it’s inexpensive and it’s a crowd-pleaser. What more could you ask of a weeknight dinner? 

Our easy meatloaf recipe uses turkey mince combined with almond meal in place of the more traditional versions that contain minced beef and breadcrumbs. The mince and almond meal are combined with onion, zucchini, carrot, egg, barbecue rub and tomato sauce then pressed into a loaf pan. For easy removal, line the loaf pan with baking paper, letting the two long sides overhang the pan. Once the meatloaf is cooked, you’ll be able to lift it easily onto a board for slicing. Cook the meatloaf for 15 minutes before brushing over your meatloaf sauce – a barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard and tomato sauce glaze. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Allow to rest in the pan for 10 minutes before slicing. 

The wonderful thing about meatloaf, serving as it does as a repository of scraps, is that you can make ingredient substitutions anywhere you like. Prefer beef mince? Go with that. Have some stale breadcrumbs you want to use up? Use them instead of the almond meal. No smoky barbecue rub but tons of garlic and paprika? Throw them in!

What to eat with meatloaf

Traditionally, meatloaf shares the plate with buttery mash potato and gently steamed greens, but it’s nothing if not versatile. Try garlic bread and green salad; cauliflower cheese and green beans; sweet potato wedges and lemony broccolini; or go full American and serve alongside mac ’n’ cheese and creamed spinach.

Adding to meatloaf’s impressive list of attributes is the fact that sliced meatloaf makes an excellent sandwich filling for the next day’s lunch. Try meatloaf and cheese toasties, or for something more elaborate, combine chopped meatloaf, leftover mashed potato and some grated cheese and use as a filling for puff pastry empanadas. Why not throw slices in the pan to heat then make meatloaf burgers with all the trimmings?

Another option, if you’re not cooking for a crowd, is to use a muffin pan to make individual meatloaves. These can be cooked then frozen and reheated whenever the urge strikes.

Now get cooking

Ready to add a new family favourite to your repertoire? Get cooking with this simple, tasty meatloaf recipe then branch out to explore the endless possibilities of meatloaf. This lamb, harissa and mixed mushroom meatloaf elevates the humble meatloaf to something worthy of a restaurant menu, while mini beef and vegetable meatloaves do double duty as finger food and lunchbox fillers.

After some more easy, economical and tasty dinner ideas? Try these saucy beef meatballs with mashed potato, a tasty 20-minute speedy spicy salmon and noodle bowl or these American-approved easy beef hotdogs with slaw.