Beef & Turkey Meatloaf

I live in a multi-generational household, which is to say I live with both my folks and my kiddo. And so we all eat together and share the responsibility of cooking meals. It also means that those meals need to cater to multiple food preferences. My son is 7 and isn't necessarily picky, but there are some textures and flavors that he just can't handle. My dad loves classic comfort food, and my mom likes bold flavors and lots of veggies. Meatloaf with roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli is one of those meals that pleases everyone. 

I've always exclusively used beef in my meatloaf but when my mom requested that I use less red meat in my cooking, I started substituting half of the meat with ground turkey. But I missed the beef. Enter SpotOn instant beef stock, my powerhouse of flavor! I add it directly into the mixture which gives it a serious boost of beefiness.

You can absolutely just use beef, or really any other ground meat. Just be weary of the fat content. You want to keep the lean/fat ratio at about 90%/10% overall.

Beef & Turkey Meatloaf

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Rest time: 10 - 15 minutes

Yield: about 6 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon butter, olive oil or any other cooking fat
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 small bell pepper (anything except green). We often have snack peppers around so I just use 4 or 5 of them sometimes. 
  • Optional: 1 zucchini, carrot, or a handful of greens such as spinach or kale
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 a sleeve (2.3 oz / 66 g / about 19) Club crackers (you can use Ritz if you must)
  • 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or a small handful of fresh parsley, finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons (.7 oz / 20 g / 2 single serve packets) unsalted SpotOn instant beef stock
  • A hefty pinch of kosher salt, roughly 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon, depending on your preference
  • 1/4 teaspoon (or to taste) freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lb ground beef, ideally 85% lean
  • 1 lb ground turkey
  • 1/4 cup tomato or vegetable juice (like V8)
  • 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce 
  • 1 egg

 

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 F
  2. Chop the onion and bell pepper, the smaller the better. 
  3. If you're using zucchini or carrots, grate them. If you're using greens, finely chop them.
  4. Place the butter (or fat of choice) in a skillet or frying pan over medium-low heat.
  5. Add the onion, pepper, and extra veg if using.
  6. Add about a cup of water.
  7. Bring to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are very soft, then continue cooking until the moisture has evaporated and they start to caramelize. This can take a while so be patient!
  8. Add the onion powder, garlic powder, and cumin and cook, stirring constantly, for another 30 seconds to a minute. Set aside.
  9. In a very large bowl, crush the crackers. This can be done in a variety of ways. You can do it by hand, pinching and crumbling the crackers with your fingers. You can do it in a food processor, or by smashing them in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. I use a tool that's kind of like a large wooden pestle (as in, mortar and pestle). The goal here is to get the crackers evenly crushed to breadcrumb size.
  10. Add your parsley, SpotOn instant stock powder, salt, and pepper and mix well.
  11. Moving forward, it's best to mix this with your hands. I like to wear gloves but you do you. Also, I recommend having your loaf pan close by.
  12. Add your cooked vegetables and the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Make sure the meats are blended and the cracker crumbs evenly distributed.
  13. Transfer the mixture into your loaf pan bit by bit, smushing it down as you go to avoid air pockets. Once everything is in, smooth the top as best you can, then use your knuckles to (gently) punch down a line down the middle. The idea here is to make the middle of the loaf more shallow than the sides. This helps the meatloaf cook more evenly. But this is one of those steps where if you’re getting frustrated, skip it. It’s not more important than your sanity.
  14. Place your meatloaf on a lipped sheet tray or shallow roasting pan (It might spill over) and bake for about 45 minutes - 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165 F. 
  15. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 - 15 minutes.
  16. Serve with your choice of sides.