Sausage Meatloaf with Peppers and Onions

This sausage meatloaf with peppers and onions is juicy and filled with flavor. It’s everything you love about the Italian American but formed into a tasty, healthy meatloaf recipe. Make this on Sunday for the week or freeze to enjoy later in the month.

Ingredients

• Green bell pepper and white onion. I love using green bell pepper, but any variety will work.
• Garlic. For a little extra flavor.
• Ground turkey. I use lean 93/7 ground turkey in this recipe. I recommend purchasing high-quality organic (if you can) ground turkey for the best flavor.
• Poultry Italian sausage. Ground poultry sausage or links will work. If you use links, then remove the casing before adding it to the meatloaf mixture.
• Eggs. This is the main binder that keeps the meatloaf ingredients together and give it structure.
• Worcestershire sauce. I use Worcestershire sauce in most of my ground turkey recipes, especially meatloaf. It gives the lean meats a meatier rich flavor.
• Granulated garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning. My favorite blend of seasonings for Italian-inspired recipes.
• Breadcrumbs. Another ingredient to help bind the ingredients together to form a loaf. I use unseasoned regular breadcrumbs because I like to add my seasonings. However, seasoned breadcrumbs will work. You can also use panko breadcrumbs. For gluten sensitivity use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
• Parmesan cheese. This grated cheese adds more flavor.
• Shredded mozzarella cheese. You can also use shredded provolone or a pizza blend mix.
• Marinara sauce. Keep this recipe simple by using a high-quality jarred pasta sauce like Rao’s Marinara. Of course, if you have homemade spaghetti sauce in the freezer or fridge, then use that.

FAQS

Cooking Tips

• You can swap in ground beef and ground pork sausage. Ground turkey and poultry sausage keep this recipe lean, but you can easily make it with beef and pork.
• You can control the spiciness. Use medium or hot Italian sausage, depending on the level of heat you want. Also, you can mix in crushed red pepper flakes for extra spice.
• Make sure to drain the vegetables. This step is essential because too much liquid will create a mushy meatloaf. I use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables from any liquid in the pan after they cook.
• Add more breadcrumbs if you need to. If the meatloaf mixture seems too wet, or you struggle to form it into a loaf, add in just enough breadcrumbs to soak up the extra liquid.
• Finely chop the vegetables. This helps to keep the structure of the meatloaf, and you’ll get veggies in each bite.
• Cool the vegetables quickly. Pour the marinara sauce over the top of the cooked veggies to quickly cool them down. Of course, you can make the the vegetables ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to make the meatloaf. 
• Other glaze options. Any type of spaghetti sauce will taste delicious, but if you’re out then use the classic ketchup topping. Spread a cup ketchup over the top of the meatloaf in place of the sauce. You can even swap it in for the sauce in the meat mixture.

For more cooking tips, see my tutorial on preparing a delicious healthy meatloaf recipe.

Supplies

• Large skillet
• Mixing bowls
• Rimmed baking sheet or loaf pan

How to Make Sausage Meatloaf with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating up, cook the veggies.
• In a small skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and then sauté the chopped onions and peppers until the peppers become soft and onions are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes or until fragrant. Place the veggies into a large bowl and set them aside to cool.
• After the vegetables cool, mix in the ground turkey, sausage, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, spices, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, 1 cup of shredded cheese, and 1/2 cup of the sauce.
• Place the meat mixture  on a rimmed baking pan or baking dish coated with cooking spray and form it into a loaf. You can also use a meatloaf pan.
• Spread the rest of the sauce over the top of the meatloaf.
• Bake for 60 – 65 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
• Take it out of the oven and sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Broil for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts.
• Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving.

Serving suggestions

This Italian Sausage Meatloaf with peppers and onions goes excellent with a variety of side dishes. 

Here are our favorites:

• Oven-roasted potatoes
• Ranch roasted potatoes
• Brown rice
• Mashed Potatoes or keep it low carb with this loaded cauliflower mash
• Roasted broccoli
• Roasted asparagus
• Roasted sweet potatoes
• Roasted carrots

Pasta with marinara sauce or lemon butter sauce.

For more ideas, see this post I put together on healthy meatloaf sides.

Storage Tips

• Cook the Sausage Meatloaf entirely and then store it in an airtight glass container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2-4 minutes or until hot. 
• You can also make meal prep bowls to have ready for lunch or dinner during the week; I put a slice of meatloaf, rice or pasta, and vegetables in a glass container for dinner. 
• You can also freeze these bowls to have them ready for meals later on. For more information, see my tutorial on how to freeze meatloaf. 

Other Healthy Meatloaf Recipes

• Mini Meatloaf Recipe
• Pizza Meatloaf
• Reuben Meatloaf

Did you make this recipe?

Have you tried this Sausage Meatloaf recipe? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it!