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.
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It probably doesn’t come as a surprise to see me sharing another turkey meatloaf recipe. Meatloaf is one of my favorite dinner recipes. It’s filled with protein, pairs perfectly with many different side dishes, and takes on whatever flavors I mix in.
Our favorites are Italian Meatloaf, Mexican Meatloaf, Cheeseburger meatloaf, Greek Meatloaf, and this Meatloaf with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe.
- Lean and tasty. Ground turkey and Italian poultry sausage keep this recipe low in fat and calories but still big on flavor.
- Easy to prepare. Mix all of the ingredients, form into a loaf, and bake!
- Make-ahead. My favorite thing about meatloaf! It reheats excellent, so make it on Sunday for the week or freeze it (raw or cooked) for dinner later on.
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
You can, but I don’t recommend it. Peppers and onions release water as they cook, and this can cause your meatloaf to be mushy or fall apart. Cooking them before adding to the meatloaf not only gives excellent flavor but also cooks down the liquid.
Mushy meatloaf is most likely the result of too much liquid from the vegetables or if the ground turkey was already on the wet mushy side. If you notice the mixture soggy, add in some extra breadcrumbs until you get it to the correct consistency, and it easily forms into a loaf.
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
Sausage Meatloaf with Peppers and Onions
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Large rimmed baking sheet or loaf pan
Ingredients
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
- ½ white onion finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 1 lb Italian poultry sausage casings removed
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs can also use Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella divided
- 1 cup marinara sauce or any spaghetti sauce divided
Instructions
- 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. Set the oven to broil.
- Broil for a couple of minutes until the cheese melts.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
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.Nutrition
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!
Jen says
I should of made a comment on this years ago . I found this recipe during the covid lock down . My family loves it . It’s now a staple recipe in our house . My girls have left for college and when they come home they always ask me to make this for them .
Tammy Overhoff says
Jen thank you so much for this message. I love that your girls love this recipe. That always makes me so happy when we can get the kiddos to eat healthy good food.
CHERYl says
Just made this tonight. Afew adjustments on my end. I used ground beef and regular milk Italian sausage. I skipped the eggs. Had to use about twice as much Italian bread crumbs. I put in more veggies. Probably 1 fill onion and 2 Bell peppers. Chopped them up small. I didn’t precook the veggies.
I came out very moist. Almost too much to stay together. Since you precooked the Veggies, you might have eliminated some of the extra moisture.
Hubby said it was good. I put bacon on top. Didn’t really add to the flavor. But he said next time I could precook it and mix it in, in crumbles.
LeeAnn says
This was not good. It was mushy and gross. The texture is all wrong. We tossed it in the trash.
Tammy Kresge says
Oh no! I’m really sorry to hear this. I’ve made this quite often and never had that problem. Sorry it didn’t work out for you.
Nikki says
Let me start off by saying that I grew up in a house that never ate meatloaf – so the thought of it in general seriously grossed me out! After having kids of my own, I needed to change up the menu but keep it simple. Since this was an Italian version I decided to give it a shot – and, well, I have been making this exact recipe for well over 2 years and always come back to your post whenever I need to make it again! I’ve shared it with others too when they are super impressed with the great flavor!
Tammy Kresge says
Awesome! I’m making this tonight for dinner!
Cheryl says
I had to be a little original. I didn’t have enough time to make a meatloaf so I cooked up burgers and it was still a winner! I didn’t have panko so I used breadcrumbs which were Italian. My daughter who “hates meatloaf” had a burger and loved it. Will try it again! Thanks!