Here I go again, twisting up a classic to put the best flavors of Thanksgiving on the table with minimal stress. If you’re looking for a way to simplify your homemade holiday dinner, but still have your favorite turkey, sausage stuffing and gravy combo, this might be the best thing you read all day.
My ground turkey meatloaf has a swirl of spinach and sausage stuffing, packing all the flavor of Thanksgiving into one easy but impressive main dish. As a bonus, I’m sharing one of our family’s favorite turkey day sides—a rich and tasty mushroom gravy, which happens to be vegan (but don’t let that stop you). You may wonder, “why offer a vegan gravy over turkey meatloaf?” I love having a single gravy on the table that makes everyone happy, whether or not they eat meat, and this one is the stuff. It is as good on any meatloaf with mashed potatoes as it is in the sauce of your favorite green bean casserole or as a savory accompaniment to nearly anything you serve at Thanksgiving.
If you enjoyed my darling husband’s recent guest post for spinach balls, now is the time to make a batch because the sausage stuffing swirl in this meatloaf makes use of leftover spinach balls. If you don’t have time to make the spinach balls in advance, you could create a similar blend with some herb stuffing mix and frozen spinach (I’ll offer suggestions).
This meatloaf exceeded my own expectation, which is really saying something, given that I have made many other “stuffed” versions of meatloaf in the past. We liked it so much it will find its way to our table again as a Sunday Supper later in the winter, you can bet on it. And we’ll serve it up with Les’s amazing garlic mashed potatoes, just like we did with this one. This is teamwork, friends, and it is delicious!
Ingredients
1/2 cup dry herb stuffing mix (I used Pepperidge Farm brand)
1/4 cup whole milk
1 lb. all-natural ground turkey* (see notes)
About 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced (divided between layers)
A few shakes poultry seasoning
1 large egg
2 large leftover spinach balls,* cut into very small dice, measuring almost 1 cup
1 bulb roasted garlic
4 oz. ground breakfast sausage (uncooked)
1/4 cup plain panko or other bread crumbs
*Notes
For turkey meatloaf, I always choose regular ground turkey rather than turkey breast, which tends to be drier. If you choose ground turkey breast, consider adding an extra egg white or an extra tablespoon of olive oil to make up for the lost moisture.
The spinach ball recipe my hubby shared a couple weeks ago gets a lot of attention at our house, especially with Thanksgiving guests. If you don’t have time to make them in advance of this recipe, try this as a substitute:
3/4 cup dry herb stuffing mix
1/4 cup frozen dry spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
2 Tbsp. parm-romano blend
Additional egg white + 2 Tbsp. chicken or vegetable broth
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and allow time for the dry mixture to absorb the liquid ingredients. It should still feel somewhat dry and rather firm; from there, proceed with the recipe.
Instructions
Follow along in my kitchen to see how I made this mouthwatering meatloaf. Written instructions are below, along with a downloadable PDF for your recipe files.
Smash the stuffing mix into the milk to break up large pieces. Give this mixture at least 20 minutes to become saturated and “paste”-like. 
Any poultry seasoning will lend a savory touch that we all associate with Thanksgiving. 
The stuffing “paste” will add soft texture and Thanksgiving flavor to the turkey meatloaf. 
The spinach balls are easy to chop into fine dice when they are cold. I chopped enough to measure about one cup. 
Add the remaining onions and roasted garlic. See my notes for substitution ideas for the spinach balls. 
I added the sausage in small clumps so that the mixture could pulse together easier. 
A few pulses gave me the texture I wanted. Not quite smooth, but fully incorporated and uniform. 
Arrange small lumps of the stuffing as evenly as possible over the turkey layer, then go over the layer again to fill in gaps. 
Layer the sausage stuffing a bit heavier on one short end of the rectangle, where you will begin the rolling. Leave an inch “naked” on the other end, where you’ll seal the roll. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour before you try to roll it. 
Use the short end of the parchment to assist with rolling the meatloaf. Begin with the end that is heavier on stuffing filling. 
Keep tension on the parchment as you go, so the meatloaf will roll up tightly with no gaps. 
Some of the mixture will stick to the parchment, but press on. Use a rubber spatula to scrape it from the paper and patch the meatloaf. 
I pressed panko crumbs all over the top and sides of the meatloaf to add a “crust” texture during baking. Regular bread crumbs would work also. 
Wrap your rolled up meatloaf tightly in plastic wrap, and twist the ends to keep it compact in the fridge overnight. This will help the meatloaf hold its perfect shape in the oven. 
To get the crust I wanted on the meatloaf, I spritzed it all over with olive oil spray. 
One final quick seasoning of salt, fresh black pepper and a few shakes of dried thyme leaves, then into the oven for an hour. 
The only way to know if meatloaf is done is to check internal temperature for at least 165° F. This one is ready! Rest 15 minutes before slicing. 
This is exactly how I imagined this would look. Crispy crusted edges, with tender turkey and stuffing. 
What favorite vegetable would you add to the open spot on the plate? 🙂
- Combine dry stuffing mix and milk in a small bowl and rest at least 20 minutes, allowing time for crumbs to be fully moistened.
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Swirl in extra virgin olive oil and add the diced onion. Saute until onions are soft and translucent. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
- In a medium bowl, combine the ground turkey, half of the sauteed onions, stuffing “paste” and egg. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine spinach ball bits, remaining sauteed onions, roasted garlic and raw sausage (pulled apart into pieces). Pulse mixture several times until it is uniformly blended.
- Line a small baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. Scatter panko crumbs evenly over the paper. Using a rubber spatula, spread the ground turkey mixture evenly over the crumbs, shaping a rectangle approximately 9 x 13″.
- Using your hands, grab up tablespoon-sized lumps of the sausage mixture and place them over the turkey layer. Don’t rush this step because it will be tough to separate the layers if you misjudge the amount as you go. I placed “dots” of the sausage mixture all over (keeping one short end bare for sealing the roll later), then filled in noticeable gaps with the remaining mixture until all was used. Press the sausage mixture firmly to seal it to the turkey layer. Lay a sheet of plastic film on top of the sausage layer and refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour. The chilling time will make it easier to roll up the meatloaf.
- To roll up the meatloaf, begin by lifting the parchment and slightly fold the meatloaf onto itself. Continue this motion, keeping the roll tight as you go. Some of the turkey may stick to the parchment, but you can use a rubber scraper to remove it and patch the roll. Full disclosure: this step was pretty messy, but I pressed on to finish the shaping.
- Press on any loose bits of panko crumbs, adding more if needed to lightly coat the shaped meatloaf. Wrap the rolled-up meatloaf as tightly as you can in a sheet of plastic film, twisting the ends as with a sausage chub. Tuck the twisted ends underneath, and chill the roll overnight.
- Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place the meat roll onto the lined sheet and lightly spray the entire meatloaf with olive oil spray.
- Bake at 400° for 15 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 375° and bake 45 more minutes.
- Test internal temperature to be sure it is at least 165° F. Cool 15 minutes before slicing.
Want to print this meatloaf recipe?
But wait, there’s more!
BONUS RECIPE:
Put-it-on-Everything Mushroom Gravy
This all-purpose sauce is so delicious, and we use it in many ways at Thanksgiving, especially when Les’s vegan daughter has been able to join us. It’s fantastic on mashed potatoes and turkey, in casseroles with green beans or (I’m speculating) perhaps even straight from the pan by the spoonful.
Please don’t assume, if you’re a meat eater, that you’d feel cheated with a vegan gravy recipe. I’m not exaggerating to declare that everyone at our table chooses this gravy over standard turkey gravy, hands down. My friend, Linda, has a special word for it: “faboo!” 😀
I prefer to make this gravy ahead, so that I have it ready when the mood strikes me to add it to another recipe, but if you’re short on time, it can certainly be served immediately after preparing it.
Ingredients (makes about 2 cups)
4 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil* (see notes below)
1/2 medium onion, finely minced
About 6 large cremini mushrooms, cleaned and diced small
1 tsp. Umami seasoning*
1 bulb roasted garlic
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth*
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
*Notes
Any good quality olive oil will work here, but I’m somewhat addicted to this one (pictured below), which is infused with the flavors of wild mushroom and sage. You can find it at one of the specialty olive oil stores that have popped up all over the U.S. It’s terrific for roasting butternut squash, too!
The Umami seasoning is a Trader Joe’s item, and it contains mushroom powder, garlic powder, sea salt and red pepper flakes. If you cannot find it, just add a few of the red pepper flakes or a slight sprinkle of ground cayenne for a subtle touch of the same heat. The recipe already has plenty of mushroom and garlic.
Vegetable broth ingredients vary a great deal, and for most of my recipes, I recommend one that does not have tomato in it. I favor this low-sodium version from Costco, which contains carrot, onion, celery and mushroom, but not tomato, which changes the acidity of some recipes. If you are not concerned with the vegan aspect, you could also use chicken broth.
Instructions
Add the mushrooms in batches. If the pan is crowded, they will steam rather than brown. Add more oil as needed. 
Does it seem excessive to use an entire bulb of roasted garlic in this gravy? Yes, and that’s exactly the point. 🙂 
Cook the mixture until the flour is absorbed and it begins to bubble a bit on the edges. Don’t be concerned if it sticks to the pan at this point. 
The broth will soften any bits stuck to the pan, and as the gravy simmers, it will thicken up.
- Place a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Swirl in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sauté the onions until soft and translucent.
- Add another tablespoon of oil and half of the mushrooms. Sauté until moisture is reduced and mushrooms are soft, then repeat with remaining oil and mushrooms.
- Season with salt, pepper and umami seasoning. Add roasted garlic and stir to blend it in.
- Sprinkle flour over the mixture and cook one minute until the flour seems absorbed and mixture begins to bubble.
- Add broth, a little at a time, and stir or whisk into a smooth and thickened sauce consistency. Simmer on low heat several minutes before serving.
Comfort du Jour 