I love meatloaf and I can remember having it growing up. If I recall correctly it was a pretty basic meatloaf with no sauce or glaze on top, but it was still delicious. Generally the meatloaf was made with ground beef, but now we prefer ground turkey. These Turkey Veggie Meatloaf Patties are stuffed full of veggies, so I feel a little better about eating them.
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I would eat meatloaf all of the time if I could, but I don’t always want to wait for it to cook. That is how these meatloaf patties came about. Especially in the summer when it’s hot, you don’t always want to turn the oven on. That being said, the meatloaf cravings are still there and must be satisfied!
I first found the recipe for Mini Garden Turkey Loaves from Budget Bytes but I’ve since modified it to my tastes. I’ve made this many, many, many times. I used to meal prep every Sunday for the week and this recipe was in my regular rotation.
The prep of the veggies take a little bit of time, but once you have that done the patties are easy to assemble. This is seriously my favorite meatloaf recipe right now. The original recipe uses a muffin pan to make the meatloaves and those are a great size. I have not tried this recipe in a loaf pan, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. It would just have to be baked longer.
What to do with Leftover Meatloaf Patties
One of the best things about making meatloaf is the leftovers. I love heating a slice in a pan on the stove and having it get slightly caramelized and then making a sandwich out of it.
The sandwich I make is simple, just two pieces of bread toasted, a little mayo, and the slice of meatloaf. You could even use my English Muffin Bread and it would be delicious. I don’t know why, but meatloaf sandwiches are my favorite! You can easily make a meatloaf sandwich out of these meatloaf patties. In fact, they are perfect for a sandwich! I like to reheat the patties in the oven since they already have the tomato glaze on the top, but you could also reheat them in the microwave. Either way, they will still be good.
These patties freeze well if you don’t want to eat a whole batch at one time. I like to freeze the patties on a parchment or plastic lined sheet pan. Once frozen, wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. If you don’t freeze them before wrapping, you run the risk that the glaze may stick to the plastic wrap. I also like freezing them before so that they will hold their shape when you place them in the freezer.
Then you can just simply pull patties out of the freezer when you want them. Makes for an easy meal on nights that you don’t feel like cooking! Have you noticed yet that I’m big on freezing things?
Are you a meatloaf fan? What’s your go to meatloaf recipe?
Turkey Veggie Meatloaf Patties
Ingredients
Meatloaf Patties
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, grated
- 10 oz baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs, regular or panko
- 1 1/2 lbs (24 oz) ground turkey, 93% lean
Meatloaf Glaze
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, garlic and onions. Saute until soft and transparent. Add in the grated carrots, chopped mushrooms, kosher salt. and ground pepper. Cook until the vegetables are soft and there are no more juices in the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from heat and transfer the veggie mixture to a large bowl to cool slightly. You do not want the veggies to be hot when you add it to the meatloaf mixture.
- Once the veggie mixture has cooled slightly, add the worcestershire sauce, ketchup, egg, and breadcrumbs. Mix together until they are evenly combined. Add the ground turkey and mix to combine, trying not to over-mix.
- Divide the mixture into 9-10 portions, about 5 ounces each. Shape each portion into a ball and gently flatten. Holding in one hand, use your other hand and thumb to shape into a patty shape rotating as needed to get an even thickness. Continue until you have all of the patties formed. Alternatively, you can shape your patties as you place them into your skillet
- Place a large skillet on medium heat, adding a little vegetable oil if needed. Once your pan is hot, place as many patties that can comfortably fit, you do not want your patties to be touching.
- Cook 4-5 minutes on the first side, then flip when the patty is nicely caramelized. Once flipped, add about 1 tbsp. of the meatloaf glaze over each patty and cover with a lid to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Repeat cooking instructions with remaining meatloaf patties.
Notes
- I have made this recipe with both regular bread crumbs and panko, I do not notice a big difference between the two. I usually use what I have on hand.
- If you want to make sure the meatloaf is seasoned to your tastes, I recommend frying up a small piece before cooking all of the patties so you can adjust as needed. I always do this when trying new meatloaf or meatball recipes!
- You can easily substitute different veggies depending on your tastes.
- These freeze well and are nice for when you want an easy meal or don’t feel like cooking.
