Turkey Meat Loaf

It’s been a while since I’ve wrestled with a 20-pound bird for Thanksgiving. Over the past few years, I’ve sought Thanksgiving main course dishes that don’t require hours of preparation and can be made ahead of time and even frozen if necessary. You may recall that last year I submitted a recipe for Chicken Giambatta which was a huge hit with my family and guests and also received positive feedback from my readers who tried the recipe. This year for Thanksgiving I’ll be making a meat loaf, but substituting ground turkey for the beef. There is just something about this meat loaf that makes it one of my family’s most requested meals. Made with dark ground meat turkey, sauteed peppers, onions, and plenty of garlic, it is savory, moist, and full of flavor. Teriyaki and barbecue sauces add a unique blend of savory and tangy flavors that makes this turkey loaf anything but ordinary.

I like to serve my turkey meat loaf with succotash, roasted vegetables, or mashed potatoes. Wishing all a joyous gathering of family and friends this Thanksgiving.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon canola oil
½ red pepper, finely chopped
½ yellow pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground dark meat turkey
¼ cup teriyaki sauce*
¼ cup barbecue sauce**
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper—about 10 grinds
½ cup bread crumbs

Before you begin, you will need a 13” by 9” baking pan, lined on the bottom with aluminum foil. Spray the aluminum foil with Pam to prevent the meatloaf from sticking.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Add the red and yellow peppers, onion and garlic, and sauté over medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes until the onions are softened and translucent. Allow to cool for a few minutes.

Place the ground turkey in a large bowl and with a fork break up into small pieces.

Add the sautéed peppers, onion and garlic, teriyaki sauce, barbecue sauce, egg, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, freshly ground pepper and mix well.

Add the bread crumbs and combine until the mixture just holds together. You may need to add more bread crumbs as needed to bind the mixture.

Place the turkey loaf mixture into the prepared baking pan, shape into an oval of approximately 10” by 3” and place in the preheated oven for one hour.

If desired, brush on some barbecue sauce right after removing the meat loaf from the oven to glaze it.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Essex Fells Magazine

October 2026