Turkey Meatloaf with Prune Glaze
Yield: 6-8 servings
Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours
Tips: Some of the Prune Glaze may be reserved for serving on the side, if desired. Ground chicken may be used instead of ground turkey, if desired.
It's always wonderful to find healthy recipes that are full of fabulous flavor. This healthy turkey meatloaf recipe is light and delicious, and is topped with a tart and mildly sweet prune glaze that in addition to also having healthy qualities, is moist and tastes uniquely amazing! Turkey Mealoaf with Prune Glaze begins with with finely chopped onions, carrots, celery and some minced garlic. This colorful combination of vegetables is sautéed in a skillet with a little olive oil until tender. The vegetables are then added to some ground turkey (regular ground turkey, ground turkey breast or even ground chicken can be used), along with some
chopped parsley, slices of bread, bread crumbs and eggs, and the mixture is combined and formed into a loaf pan. A good amount of the prune glaze is applied half-way through the cooking, and the remaining glaze and is reapplied every 10 minutes or until the meatloaf is done. The Prune Glaze recipe makes quite a bit, so if preferred, some of the glaze can be reserved and served on the side after the meatloaf has been cooked. By the way, this meatloaf recipe can be easily turned into healthy meatloaf muffins, simply by scooping the meatloaf mixture into the cups of cupcake pans (for smaller meatloaf muffins) or the larger-sized muffin pans (for larger meatloaf muffin servings), allowing for a modest mound in the center, just as you would an entire meatloaf. Meatloaf muffins will cook more quickly and require a lower cooking temperature than an entire meatloaf, so you'd want to reduce the heat to 350° F and bake the smaller cupcake size meatloaf muffins for about 25-30 minutes and the larger muffin-size meatloaf muffins for about 30-40 minutes (oven temperatures may vary), applying the Prune Glaze as you would the entire meatloaf.
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- Meatloaf
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 slices bread, crusts removed
- 1/2 cup low or non-fat milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon each ground black pepper, dried thyme and garlic powder
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 cup chopped pitted prunes
- 1/4 cup bread crumbs
- 3 lbs. ground turkey
- Glaze
- 1/2 cup pitted prunes
- 3/4 cup prune juice
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
Directions
Meatloaf
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot reduce heat to medium and add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (about 5-10 minutes). Remove skillet from heat and allow to cool.
Pour milk into a shallow bowl and add bread slices. Soak bread in milk until moist, turning to coat both sides (10-15 seconds).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, pepper, thyme, garlic powder and parsley. Add soaked bread, cooled vegetables, dried plums, bread crumbs and ground turkey. Mix all ingredients (preferably with hands - plastic gloves may be worn, if desired) together until well combined. Transfer the meatloaf mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan, gently pressing to ensure there are no air gaps, and forming a slight mound toward the top.
Place meatloaf in oven and bake for 45 minutes. Prepare Prune Glaze while meatloaf is baking (recipe follows). After first 45 minutes of baking, remove meatloaf from oven and baste with about 1/2 of the Prune Glaze (spooning glaze over top of meatloaf with a large spoon, then spreading it with the bottom of the spoon works well). Return meatloaf to oven and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 170° F, basting with remaining glaze every 15 minutes until used up. Allow meatloaf to sit for about 5 minutes before slicing. (Tip: Removing entire meatloaf from pan with 2 large metal spatulas and placing meatloaf on a cutting board will make it easier to slice into individual portions.
Glaze
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, then puree in a blender. Set aside until ready to use.
