A throwback dish that's easy to put together and flavorful! Meatloaf without breadcrumbs has endless side dish options and is easy to double for a quick weeknight meal.
Meatloaf is one of those throwback meals that you think about when you were a kid. Moms might make it a lot because the prep time doesn't take that long. One of the best parts of meatloaf is the seasoning and sauce on top. I like meat well seasoned! It's kind of a let down if it isn't (ha, ha). Here's a easy meatloaf recipe with few ingredients.
Ingredients
Meat: Ground turkey
Binder: Eggs
Seasonings: Italian seasoning, onion, sage, garlic powder, salt ---that meat has to be seasoned!
Sauce: Just ketchup!
How to make meatloaf without breadcrumbs
It's not as hard as you think to make breadless meatloaf. The eggs already act as the binder for the meatloaf to help hold it together.
Step #1:
Add ground meat to a bowl.
Step #2:
Add all the other ingredients to the same bowl and get in there with your hands! I mean really mix all the ingredients together really well.
Step #3:
Add the meatloaf mix to a sheet pan/9x13 baking dish and form into a loaf.
Step #4:
Bake and enjoy! See below for the full set of instructions.
What to eat with meatloaf no breadcrumbs?
- Potatoes
- Baked potato - eat the skin; it's where the fiber is!
- Roasted potatoes - to boost fiber I recommend eating roasted potatoes with the skin on. Any type of potato! Russet, red, fingerling, etc.
- Mashed potatoes
- I know most people completely peel the potato and don't include any skin in their mashed potatoes...buuut there's no hard rule that says you can't. I say if you don't mind it with some skins in there then leave it on the potato.
- Green peas
- Green peas are a great source of fiber and are considered a starchy vegetable (like a carbohydrate). See below for non-starchy vegetable choices.
- Corn
- When possible, buy organic corn. Trader Joe's has pretty affordable frozen organic corn.
- Add a non-starchy vegetable!
- A green side salad
- Green beans, like Cajun Green Beans (Quick & Easy!)
- Cabbage, such as Slow Cooker Cabbage (Chop, Dump & Cook)
- Greens (like Smokey Slow Cooker Collard Greens, turnip or mustard greens)
- Carrots
- *Optional but can definitely be included:
- Cornbread
- Easy Garlic Bread Sourdough
Substitutions
We use a lot of ground turkey in our house, but you could also use ground beef if that's your preference. Another cool thing you can do is half ground turkey, half ground beef. This is a good transition tip for anyone who is on the fence about ground turkey.
Variations
There are so many different types of sauces you can put on top of meatloaf. Instead of ketchup you could do a Juicy BBQ Meatloaf.
Here's a Food Network article with a couple of glaze ideas.
Storage
In the fridge
Store your homemade meatloaf without breadcrumbs in the fridge for up to 4 days.
In the freezer
Once the meatloaf has completely cooled, slice, wrap in wax paper and add it to a freezer safe bag. Make sure the bag is labeled with the name and date. It'll last for months!
How to Reheat & Eat
To reheat turkey meatloaf without breadcrumbs from frozen:
- Preheat the oven to 350F
- Take our however many slices you need to reheat and place on a sheet pan or in a glass pan.
- Warm for approximately 20 minutes in the oven.
- Once it's warm, you can add more ketchup or another sauce of your choice if you like!
Top tip
Make a double batch! Meatloaf is one of those meals that can easily be doubled while you are making it. Get out 2 bowls and 2 sheet pans/baking dishes. Add the ground meat to each bowl while simultaneously adding the rest of the ingredients to each bowl. And continue following the instructions.
Once both loaves are done, you can slice and freeze the other loaf for a quick weeknight dinner!
Turkey Meatloaf Without Breadcrumbs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground turkey
- ½ cup diced onion
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning plus 1 teaspoon
- 2 teaspoon sage
- 2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add ground turkey to a large bowl.
- Then in the same bowl add the eggs, onion, and all the seasonings (except the ketchup). Mix ingredients together very well with your hands until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Now you can easily form the mixture into a loaf and transfer it to a sheet pan or 9x13 baking dish.
- Put the dish in the oven and let it cook for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes are up take the pan/dish out of the oven and add the ketchup on top. Put the meatloaf back in the oven to finish cooking for another 30-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°.
- Once the meatloaf is done let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cumin is a good replacement for sage
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!