Doin' Some Cookin'... Bacon Turkey Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Little Man can eat a cheeseburger for every meal if I'd let him. If I wasn't concerned about his health or having CPS called on me I may consider.

But, I'm not that mom.

(All I can think of when I see this photo is how perfect this meatloaf would be for a Halloween dinner party cause it looks like flesh and blood.)

It's no surprise he asked for a cheeseburger night for part of this weeks' menu. While browsing some of my favorite blogs I came across this recipe for a healthy Bacon Turkey Cheeseburger Meatloaf and knew I had to give this one a try.

This meatloaf did not disappoint. It has all of the flavors of a cheeseburger and even though it's made with ground turkey it is incredibly moist.

Little Man being a cheeseburger fanatic ate every bite of this and agreed it was make again worthy. It's an especially hearty meal when paired with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli. We ate off of the leftovers for three days. So good!

Bacon Turkey Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Adapted From: Organize Yourself Skinny

Makes 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1/2 slice whole wheat bread
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp hamburger seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1/8 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp mustard
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 6 slices bacon

And Action:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In a small bowl mix together the ketchup and mustard. 

In a large bowl mix together the bread and milk mixing it together to create a paste. Add the ground turkey, seasonings, Parmesan cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, 1/2 of the ketchup mixture, and cheddar cheese. 

Mix until evenly distributed.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Place the meat mixture in the middle and form a loaf. 

Spread the rest of the ketchup mixture on top and then lay the bacon over the loaf tucking it under the loaf if needed.

Place the meatloaf in the oven and bake for 55 minutes. 

Turn the oven on broil and broil 3-5 minutes or until the bacon is crispy. 

Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Parmesan Meatloaf

Okay, so I realize this is my third meatloaf recipe I've posted since November and that I've ranted about not really being on board to put together another meatloaf but this may be the game changer and here's why. After baking this I cut it into squares and served it on a bed of spaghetti and used it as a giant meatball. Kid approved!! Across the board rave reviews.

If you are tired of the same meatloaf recipe you should give this a try. It is perfectly seasoned with Italian spices and although it has equal parts ground beef and ground turkey it is not dry at all and holds up well reheated in the microwave the next day.

Parmesan Meatloaf

Adapted From: Mommy I'm Hungry!

Makes 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 lb ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1 cup Italian cheese blend
• dried parsley, for garnish

And Action:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl combine the ground turkey thru the parmesan cheese. Try not to over handle as that will cause it to become tough. Place the mixture in the baking dish forming a loaf. Top the meatloaf with the marinara sauce.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and sprinkle with the Italian cheese blend and bake another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven. Serve over a bed of pasta noodles tossed with the leftover marinara sauce and garnish with parsley. Enjoy!

Doin' Some Cookin'... Crock Pot Meatloaf

Meatloaf is the only meal Little Man will request. I've only made it once in his 6 years under my roof. He must be getting it elsewhere and needing his fix. Ha! He randomly requested a meatloaf sandwich recently and told him I'd need to plan for it so I could gather the needed ingredients. Between you and me, meatloaf isn't something I crave or get excited about cooking. After my first attempt at a glazed meatloaf and three days worth of leftovers I think I had my fill for another 20+ years. It was such a heavy meal. Ugh!

But... anything for my son. This time no food processor and instead an easier cooking method, the crock pot. I mean easy!

So easy, I took a quick break from work to put this together. I had all of the ingredients mixed, shaped into a loaf, and set in the crock pot within ten minutes. No one even knew I left the building. One of the perks of living right across the street from work. Shh! Our little secret.

It was so nice coming home from work and only needing to put together a side dish, and the house smelt amazing. I served the meatloaf with a side of roasted carrots. Little Man ate two helpings of the meatloaf!!!

This meatloaf was not as heavy tasting as the glazed meatloaf and had me looking forward to leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches the next day. I'll be making this one again but with more spices.

Crock Pot Meatloaf

Adapted From: Moms With Crockpots

Makes 6 Servings

Stars of the Show:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 (1 oz) envelope french onion dip mix
• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1/4 cup ketchup

And Action:

Line the crock pot with aluminum foil, coming up the sides for easier removal once cooked.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, and french onion dip mix. Mix well, then add meat. Mix thoroughly and shape into a rectangle or oval that won't touch the sides of the crockpot. Place in the crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. 

Minutes before its finished cooking brush the top with ketchup. Cover and allow to finish cooking.  

Doin' Some Cooking... Glazed Meatloaf

Little Man's only request this week for dinner was totally random. Meatloaf. Where the hell did he get this idea from?

"Really, meatloaf?!!" I cringed.

Serious faced and waving his hand at me, "You don't know what meatloaf is? It's just a burger patty with ketchup on it."

I have never made meatloaf and still have a bad taste in my mouth for it since my childhood. Maybe because Grandma overplayed the dried out loaf. Sorry, but the lady could not cook and it showed up on our plates every Sunday when we visited her. Nothing comforting about it.

This is much more sophisticated than what I recall. I pulled out a big girl kitchen appliance to whip this up. Hello food processor! You should have seen my counter top which had ingredients from one end to the other, but don't let the long list of ingredients discourage you from giving this recipe a try.

Seasoned ground beef and pork gets shaped into a log with the help of a small baking dish and gets basted with a slightly spicy ketchup glaze and baked for 40 minutes.

My mind has been forever changed on meatloaf. Might even live life on the edge and try a meatloaf sandwich for the first time tomorrow. Thank you Little Man for the great dinner idea!

Glazed Meatloaf

Adapted From: Eatocracy

Makes 6-8 Servings

Stars of the Show:

For the Glaze:

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce

For the Meatloaf:

• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 17 saltine crackers
• 1/3 cup 2% milk
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• splash of soy sauce
• splash of lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/3 cup dried parsley
• salt and pepper, to taste

And Action:

To make the glaze, combine all glaze ingredients in a saucepan over medium and stir until brown sugar dissolves and sauce thickens. Turn to low until ready to use.

Add all of the meatloaf ingredients in the food processor and pulse until well combined. 

Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and spread the meatloaf mix into the dish. Broil for 5 minutes. Brush about 2 tbsp of the glaze on top of the meatloaf and broil another 2 minutes.

Turn the oven to 350 degrees, top the meatloaf with the rest of the glaze, and bake until meatloaf registers 160 degrees, about 40-45 minutes. If time permits, transfer to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Slice and serve.