The Best Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey meatloaf gets a bad rap. It can be dry, and it's not exactly visually appealing...

But I've been perfecting this recipe for years, and you have my word that this is the best turkey meatloaf ever. AND it's gluten and dairy free. ✅✅

It's one of the Vandy Fam's fave winter comfort meals. Pic includes my mashed cauliflower - check out that recipe on my account if you haven't already!

Turkey Meatloaf Recipe:

-1 large yellow or white onion, chopped

-4 garlic cloves, chopped

-1 teaspoon dried thyme

-1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (you could sub olive oil)

-1/2 cup oats (use regular rolled oats, not the quick cooking kind)

-1/2 cup almond milk (unflavored and unsweetened)

-3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

-1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup (I like Heinz organic)

-3 teaspoons salt

-1 extra large egg

-Black pepper (let's say a teaspoon, but pepper is sort of personal)

-Two pounds ground turkey - (Make sure you choose regular ground turkey! Do not use ground white meat for this.)

-1 whole package of uncured bacon (12 ounces... I like Trader Joes's or Boar's Head Simplicity)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine bacon, onion, garlic and thyme in a food processor. You want the mixture to be minced. Stop mixing before it turns to complete mush.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan and add the onion/bacon/garlic mixture to the pan. Cook for about 8 minutes or until slightly brown. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate to drain and cool.

Combine the ground turkey, oats, almond milk, worcestershire, 2 tablespoons ketchup (reserve the rest), salt, egg and pepper. Once the onion/bacon/garlic mixture cools, add that in and combine everything.

Form into a meatloaf shape on a baking sheet and add the 1/4 cup ketchup on top. Place a small pan of water in an oven safe dish at the bottom of the oven and cook the meatloaf for 45 minutes. You MUST NOT skip adding the water to the oven. It plays a huge part in keeping the turkey meatloaf moist.

This will serve four for dinner with plenty of leftovers. It's literally like a 3-4 pound meatloaf! #cookonceeattwice