Italian Meatloaf
This 5-star Italian meatloaf recipe includes ground turkey, poultry sausage, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasonings. It’s like eating a giant meatball! Truthfully, this might be the best turkey meatloaf you’ll ever have! Make it on Sunday for the week or freeze for dinner later on.
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I don’t know what your experience was with meatloaf growing up, but for me, I didn’t exactly look forward to meatloaf day. There is just something about the word “meatloaf” that doesn’t appeal to me.
But that has changed! Over the years, I’ve learned how to create delicious healthy meatloaf recipes, and those are now a regular part of our dinner rotation.
Our favorites include cheeseburger meatloaf, sausage meatloaf, Mexican meatloaf, Buffalo chicken meatloaf, turkey zucchini meatloaf with feta cheese, and this Italian meatloaf.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe.
- Delicious. There’s a reason this meatloaf recipe has so many 5-star reviews. Read the comments and see for yourself. Everybody that tastes this meatloaf loves it! It tastes like a giant meatball, and who doesn’t love that!
- Easy to prepare. You need to mix all of the ingredients, form them into a loaf, and bake.
- Healthy. Made with ground turkey and Italian poultry sausage, this meatloaf recipe is big on flavor without extra calories and fat.
- Make-ahead. There are so many different ways to make meatloaf ahead of time for the week. Make it on Sunday for the week or freeze a couple of loaves to have ready for the busy workweek. I think every busy parent needs a few good meatloaf recipes in their dinnertime arsenal.
5-Star Recipe ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This is THE BEST turkey meatloaf! It might even be the best meatloaf period! My whole family loved it including my super picky granddaughters. Thank you so much for sharing!” – Kelly
Ingredients
- Milk and bread. Combining milk and bread into a paste help to keep this Italian meatloaf recipe juicy and moist.
- Ground turkey. Lean ground turkey provides protein without saturated fat.
- Poultry Italian sausage You’ll get all the delicious flavor of Italian sausage made with pork but without the extra fat and calories. Purchase poultry sausage at the meat counter or in the meat section of the grocery store.
- Eggs and unseasoned breadcrumbs. These are the binding ingredients for this meatloaf recipe. I use unseasoned breadcrumbs because I like to control the flavor with other seasonings and ingredients. Also, seasoned breadcrumbs often include additional flavorings, additives, and preservatives that don’t lend well to a clean eating diet.
- Grated parmesan cheese. For the best flavor, use freshly grated parmesan cheese. You can also use Romano cheese.
- Italian Seasoning, Onion Powder, and Granulated Garlic. This is the perfect seasoning blend for this Italian meatloaf. If you don’t have Italian seasoning, then use half-dried oregano and half-dried basil.
- Worcestershire sauce. This is the secret ingredient I use in all of my ground turkey recipes to create delicious flavor.,
- Shredded Mozzarella. There’s nothing like ooey-gooey cheese combined with sauce and meat! Yum! You can also use shredded provolone or a pizza blend.
- Marinara sauce. Any pasta sauce will work. Of course, homemade spaghetti sauce is best, but we also like to use a high-quality jarred marinara sauce. Our favorite brand is Rao’s or Thrive Market Sicilian Gravy.,
Cooking Tips
- Use ground beef and pork. So many people have tried this recipe with ground turkey and poultry sausage and love it! But, if you prefer lean ground beef and ground pork, then you can swap in both no problem.
- Spice it up. To increase the heat, use a hot Italian sausage or sprinkle in more red pepper flakes.
- Make it gluten-free. I’ve made this many times using gluten-free bread and breadcrumbs. You can use gluten-free crackers too. Also, if you have a gluten-sensitivity please read the labels on the other ingredients to make sure there’s no gluten hiding in them.
- Bulk up the veggies. Add bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, and other vegetables into the meatloaf meat mixture. I recommend sauteing in olive oil first.
- If needed, add more breadcrumbs. This Italian turkey meatloaf is going to feel on the wet side. Don’t worry; this keeps the meatloaf juicy and moist. However, if you’re struggling to form it into a loaf, then add some extra bread crumbs.
- Beat the eggs before adding to the meatloaf mixture. You don’t want to over mix the meatloaf mixture because that can result in a tough texture. Beating the eggs first makes it easier to mix all of the ingredients evenly without having to overmix.
- Any baking dish or pan will work. When cooking this meatloaf, I’ve used a baking sheet, casserole dish, baking pan, and meatloaf pan – all work just fine.
Supplies
- Mixing bowls
- Large rimmed baking sheet or meat loaf pan
Serving suggestions
This Italian meatloaf goes with just about everything. Here are our favorite sides.
- 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
- Italian Pasta Salad
See more healthy meatloaf sides.
How to Make Italian Meatloaf
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating, put together the meatloaf.
- In a large bowl, mash together the bread and milk until it forms a paste.
- To the paste, add the ground turkey, Italian sausage, eggs, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, onion powder, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, ½ cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce.
- Mix all of the ingredients, using your hands, until everything is evenly distributed. As I said, don’t overmix.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and then spray with cooking spray. Place the mixture onto the pan and form it into a loaf shape.
- Spread the remaining marinara sauce over the meatloaf.
- Put the meatloaf into a preheated oven and bake the meatloaf for 60 – 70 minutes. When the internal temperature registers 160 then the meatloaf is done. Use a meat thermometer to get the most accurate reading.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and then set the oven to broil.
- Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese over the top and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
- Remove meatloaf from the oven, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then cut into thick slices and serve.
Storage Tips
Meatloaf is one of the best recipes to make for meal prep and freezer cooking. Here are some options.
- Cook the Italian 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.
- One of my favorite ways to store cooked meatloaf is to make meal prep bowls; I put a slice of meatloaf, rice, and vegetable in a glass container for a perfect portion control healthy dinner to eat during the week. You can also freeze these bowls to have them ready for meals later on.
- Assemble the meatloaf on a piece of foil, place it onto a plate, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to cook, put the meatloaf on a baking sheet and continue with the recipe.
- Assemble the meatloaf and freeze raw. This is an excellent way to stock your freezer with different meatloaf recipes to have ready-for-easy dinners throughout the month. For more information, see my tutorial on how to freeze meatloaf.
Italian Meatloaf
This 5-star Italian meatloaf recipe includes ground turkey, poultry sausage, marinara sauce, mozzarella cheese, and Italian seasonings. It's like eating a giant meatball! Truthfully, this might be the best turkey meatloaf you'll ever have! Make it on Sunday for the week or freeze for dinner later on.
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Servings: 8 people
Calories: 270kcal
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 slice wheat bread
- 2-3 tablespoons milk
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 lb poultry Italian sausage Remove casings if you purchase links
- 2 eggs beaten
- ½ cup unseasoned breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan can also use Romano cheese
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese divided
- 1 cup marinara sauce divided
Instructions
- Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees. While the oven is heating, put together the meatloaf.
- In a large bowl, mash together the bread and milk until it forms a paste.
- To the paste, add the ground turkey, Italian sausage, eggs, breadcrumbs, grated parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, onion powder, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, ½ cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce.
- Mix all of the ingredients, using your hands, until everything is evenly distributed.
- Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil and then spray with cooking spray. Place the mixture onto the pan and form it into a loaf shape.
- Spread the remaining marinara sauce over the meatloaf.
- Put the meatloaf into a preheated oven and bake the meatloaf for 60 – 70 minutes. When the internal temperature registers 160 then the meatloaf is done.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and then set the oven to broil.
- Sprinkle the rest of the shredded cheese over the top and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until the cheese melts.
- Remove meatloaf from the oven, let it sit for about 5 minutes, and then cut into thick slices and serve.
Notes
Storage Tips
Meatloaf is one of the best recipes to make for meal prep and freezer cooking. Here are some options.
Cook the Italian 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. One of my favorite ways to store cooked meatloaf is to make meal prep bowls; I put a slice of meatloaf, rice, and vegetable in a glass container for a perfect portion control healthy dinner to eat during the week. You can also freeze these bowls to have them ready for meals later on.
Assemble the meatloaf on a piece of foil, place it onto a plate, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to cook, put the meatloaf on a baking sheet and continue with the recipe.
Assemble the meatloaf and freeze raw. This is an excellent way to stock your freezer with different meatloaf recipes to have ready-for-easy dinners throughout the month. For more information, see my tutorial on how to freeze meatloaf.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 270kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 102mg | Sodium: 503mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g
Other meatloaf recipes
Did you make this recipe?
Have you tried this Italian 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!
