Meatball Meatloaf

I have cooked a lot of meatloaf on this blog, and I have loved them all. But what I made last night, well that was special. Like the kid that you love just as much as your other kids but maybe a little bit more. (I don't know, I only have one, does that really happen?) I'm calling it Meatball Meatloaf because it was inspired by the way my boyfriend makes meatballs. It just tasted incredible. Full of flavor (thanks in part to my random addition of SALAMI), crispy exterior, moist interior... all accomplished with ground turkey! Lean meats are not always boring, my friends. Please enjoy.

Meatball Meatloaf
(Serves 4-6)
Printable Recipe

1 lb. ground turkey
2 T olive oil
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup diced salami (or pancetta)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup panko (or bread crumbs)
1/2 cup milk
2 T tomato paste
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 T ketchup
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and salami. Season with salt and pepper, and saute for 5-7 minutes, until slightly caramelized. Remove from heat and let cool a bit.


In a small bowl, combine panko and milk. Stir until it reaches a baby food-like consistency. Then drain out excess milk.


In a large bowl, add ground turkey, egg, onion mixture, panko that has soaked in milk, Italian seasoning, 1 T of the tomato paste and some salt and pepper (about 1/2 tsp each). Combine with hands or a wooden spoon.


Place in bread pan (I love these disposable ones because I hate cleaning). In a small bowl, combine the other T of tomato paste and the ketchup. Stir. Spread on top of meatloaf.


Bake for one hour.