Kid-Friendly Turkey and Beef Meatloaf

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/22/22
Turkey and beef meat loaf recipe

​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 110 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 1 meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of America's favorite comfort foods. Vegetables and traditional meatloaf flavors highlight this ground turkey and beef combination. A tasty homemade barbecue sauce mixture is used to flavor meatloaf and make a tasty topping.

Processing the vegetables in the food processor helps them blend into the meatloaf nicely. This is a big plus if you have kids who hate seeing chunks of vegetables in their meatloaf or just hate vegetables in general. Feel free to vary the vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lean ground beef

  • 1 pound lean ground turkey

  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1/2 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

  • 1 carrot, sliced

  • 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

  • 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped or sliced

  • 1/2 green bell pepper, coarsely chopped

  • 4 ounces mushrooms

  • 1 cup ketchup

  • 1 tablespoon prepared mustard

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 F.

    Ingredients for turkey and beef meatloaf
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  2. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or rectangular baking pan or spray it with cooking spray.

    pan for turkey and beef meatloaf
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  3. Combine the beef and turkey in a large bowl with the eggs and breadcrumbs. Set aside.

    Combine beef and turkey
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  4. In a food processor, combine the carrot, onion, garlic, and green pepper. Process until finely chopped.

    food processor
     

  5. In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the finely chopped vegetables and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.

    Cook ingredients in pan
     ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  6. Meanwhile, process the mushrooms until finely chopped.

    food processor
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  7. Add them to the vegetables and continue cooking for 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly.

    Blend in a large skillet
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  8. In a bowl, combine the ketchup with the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper, salt, and black pepper.

    Ketchup combined with the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper, salt, and black pepper
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  9. Add about three-quarters of the ketchup mixture to the meat and breadcrumb mixture.

    Blend sauce with meat and breadcrumbs
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  10. Add the sautéed vegetables and mushrooms to the meat; mix until well blended.

    Add sauteed vegetables
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  11. Pack the mixture into a loaf pan or shape into a free-form loaf in the rectangular baking pan.

    Place the mixture into a loaf pan
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  12. Bake the meatloaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

    cooked meat loaf
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  13. Carefully pour off any excess grease. Spread remaining ketchup mixture over the loaf and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

    Sauce on top of meatloaf
    ​The Spruce Eats / Victoria Heydt

  14. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Mix the meatloaf with your hands or put the mixture in a large food storage bag. Knead the bag to blend the ingredients.
  • You may mix a large meatloaf with the paddle attachment of a stand mixer; avoid over-mixing.
  • To avoid clogged drains, pour the excess grease into an empty jar or container and dispose of it with the trash. 

Recipe Variations

  • Leave the mushrooms out or replace them with more of the included vegetables.
  • Use all ground beef or make it with half ground beef and half lean ground pork.
  • Add a rib or two of celery to the food processor along with the carrot and other vegetables.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
507 Calories
24g Fat
27g Carbs
47g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 507
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 30%
Saturated Fat 7g 34%
Cholesterol 208mg 69%
Sodium 997mg 43%
Total Carbohydrate 27g 10%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 47g
Vitamin C 18mg 92%
Calcium 87mg 7%
Iron 5mg 28%
Potassium 904mg 19%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)