Mom's Meatloaf Remixed

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Meatloaf has a bad reputation. Granted, the name "meatloaf" is kind of funky and stirs up images of frozen dinners and 1950s housewives. But in my house, meatloaf is a weekly favorite. It's high in lean protein, low in saturated fat and very easy to make. Each loaf yields at least three generous servings perfect for dinners at home or lunches on the go. It lasts for several days in the fridge and can also be frozen. And it's f*cking delicious. Heat this up at work (60-90s in the microwave) and your coworkers will drool over your shoulder while asking what smells so good. You'll be like the Pied Piper of Hamelin. But with meat. Settle down there, vegetarians. Sub the meat for tofu and the recipe still totally works.

I have to give my handsome and amazing partner Peter credit for this recipe. Mostly. It actually started with my mom. When I moved away to college and finally had to start cooking for myself, I remember calling my mom one night missing her homemade meatloaf. She gave me her recipe over the phone and it quickly became one of the only things as a 19 year old I could make. Flash forward to my thirties and I was still rocking the recipe and used it to lure Peter in (you know what they say about men and their stomachs). Peter took the original recipe and gave it a healthier spin. We use lean ground turkey but ground chicken also works. My mom originally used lean ground beef which totally still works if ground beef is part of your personal food ethic. We simply pair it with frozen rice (brown, jasmine or cauliflower) or 5-minute couscous and a cup of frozen veggies or a simple side salad.  

What You'll Need

  • 1 lb lean ground meat (turkey, chicken or beef)
  • 1 egg
  • 6 oz plain Greek yogurt (we use 0% but up to you if you want more fat)
  • 1/2 cup Italian style bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup organic marinara (try to get one low in sodium and no sugar added)
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or oregano and basil to taste)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

What To Do

  • Preheat oven to bake at 375.
  • Beat the egg with a folk in a bowl until blended.
  • Pour the egg in a big mixing bowl and add ALL the other ingredients except the marina sauce: turkey, olive oil, Greek yogurt, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. 
  • Using a spoon mush everything together until all the ingredients are consistently blended. 
  • Put the mixture in a standard glass dish (no need to grease it, just plop it in there) and spread it evenly until it has that fabulous loaf shape. 
  • Spread the marinara on top.
  • Put in the oven uncovered for 60 minutes. 
  • Using oven mitts, take the loaf out and let cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving (or let cool completely and put in fridge/store to eat later).