Moist melt-in-your-mouth turkey meatloaf

Meatloaf is a hearty dish that goes down well any time of the year. For a recipe with a bit of spice and loaded with juicy flavours, you'll want to give this twist on classic meatloaf – using turkey instead of beef – a whirl. One one thing is guaranteed: everyone will love it!

[Photo credit: iStock.com/gbh007]

The secret ingredient that makes this loaf moist and juicy is shredded sweet potato, one of the most nutritious vegetables in nature. Ginger, garlic and prepared stir-fry sauce give it a lively and unexpected flavour. Serve with steamed broccoli or sautéed spinach.

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Bake time:  about 1 hour and 15 minutes
Serves: 8

•  500 g extra-lean ground turkey breast
• 500 g shredded sweet potato
• 250 g chopped onion
• 175 g whole wheat panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) or fresh whole wheat bread crumbs
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• 90 ml prepared stir-fry sauce
• 15 g grated fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 ml freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 20 cm x 10 cm (or 23 cm x 13 cm) loaf pan with foil, leaving a 2.5 cm overhang along the two long sides. Coat with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine the turkey, sweet potato, onion, panko, egg, egg whites, 25 ml stir-fry sauce, ginger, garlic and pepper. Mix well. Transfer to the pan and press into a loaf. Spread 15 ml stir-fry sauce over the top.
3. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for one hour. Drain off the fat, then bake until firm and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centre registers 77°C (170°F), about 10 to 20 minutes. Drain off any additional fat and let stand for five minutes.
4. In a small microwavable bowl, whisk the remaining 45 ml (three tablespoons) stir-fry sauce and 45 ml water. Cover with wax paper and microwave on high until heated through, about one minute.
5. Use the foil overhang to lift the loaf and transfer it to a cutting board, then slice. Drizzle a little sauce over each slice.

Leftover meatloaf will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to two days. One serving is about 125 grams of meatloaf and about 10 ml of sauce.

Nutritional information
In each serving you get about 147 calories; 17 g protein; 14 g carbohydrates; 2 g fibre; 3 g total fat; 0 g saturated fat, 49 mg cholesterol and 165 mg sodium.

Handy cook's tip
Ground turkey can be a leaner alternative to ground beef as long as you choose extra-lean ground turkey breast.

• Regular lean ground turkey is made from a mixture of breast and leg meat or all leg meat and doesn't offer significant savings in calories or fat over extra-lean ground beef (ground round).

This moist and juicy turkey meatloaf dish is a handy, easy recipe for your repertoire when the gang is clamoring for food.

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