Let’s be honest: meatloaf has a reputation problem. It’s the dinner equivalent of a sensible sedan…reliable, but nobody’s posting pictures of it. And when it comes to turkey on Thanksgiving, we all tend to serve it up the same way every single year — but it doesn’t have to be that way. This wild turkey meatloaf is your invitation to mix it up: lean game bird, a whole pantry raid of mushrooms, onion, carrot, and celery inside (your vegetable-skeptics will never know), and a ketchup glaze that caramelizes. Bonus move: it’s even better on day two, when a quick sear in a hot pan turns yesterday’s slices into today’s crispy-edged masterpiece. Meal prep goals: achieved.

Wild Turkey Mushroom Meatloaf

By Jenny Nguyen via gameandfishmag.com

Serves: 6 | Prep time: 30 minutes | Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the meatloaf:

• 2 pounds freshly ground wild turkey (leg, thigh and breast)
• Oil for sautéing
• 10 ounces baby bella/crimini mushrooms
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• ⅓ cup seasoned bread crumbs
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan, Romano & Asiago cheeses
• Kosher salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the glaze:

• 1½ cups ketchup
• ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• Hot sauce, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely dice mushrooms, onion, carrot and celery. In a large skillet—the more surface area, the better—coat the bottom of the pan with oil and turn the heat up to medium-high. Once hot, add the diced mushrooms and sauté until they’ve given up most of their moisture and are slightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and the chopped thyme leaves toward the end. (You want the mushrooms as dry as possible, without getting crispy, so they don’t make the meatloaf watery later.) Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.
2. Coat the same pan with more oil. Add the onion, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Sauté until the onion softens, about 5–7 minutes. Then add the garlic, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste, and sauté another 30 seconds. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms and let the mixture cool.
3. Once the vegetables and mushrooms are cool, add the ground turkey, parsley, breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, shredded cheese and black pepper to the bowl. Combine with your hands.
4. Spray a standard 9-by-5 loaf pan with cooking spray. Evenly spread the turkey mixture into the pan. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and dry mustard (add hot sauce to taste). Spread a layer on top of the meatloaf, reserving the rest for serving. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F. Rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving, with the leftover ketchup mixture on the side.

Tip: Make it a day ahead — the chilled loaf slices cleanly, and browning the slices in a hot pan with olive oil adds a flavorful crust that makes the leftovers the best part.

^{Feature photo by Angela Maxwell}