| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 45 min |
| Active: | 25 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon EVOO, plus more for drizzling
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 to 3 small stalks celery with leafy tops, finely chopped
- 1 small Honeycrisp or McIntosh apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 1/2 cups cubed seasoned cornbread or traditional stuffing cubes
- 1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
- 2 pounds ground turkey (mix of white and dark meat)
- 1 cup shredded or crumbled extra-sharp white Cheddar
- 1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
- 1 large egg
- Cider Gravy, optional, recipe follows
- Whole berry cranberry sauce (homemade or store-bought), for serving
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups chicken or turkey stock
- 1/2 cup cloudy apple cider
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 egg yolk, optional
- Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the butter and EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thyme, celery, apples, onions, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until tender, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and let cool. Pulse the stuffing cubes in a food processor until crumbs form, then transfer to a bowl and moisten with the chicken stock to soften. Cover the cranberries with hot water in a bowl and let soften, then drain. Put the turkey in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the stuffing crumbs, apple mixture, cranberries, cheese, poultry seasoning and egg and mix gently to combine. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, form the turkey mixture into a loaf that is 10 inches long and 4 inches high. Drizzle with EVOO and bake until golden and cooked through, 50 to 60 minutes. Slice the meatloaf and serve with Cider Gravy and cranberry sauce. Cook’s Notes: Steamed green beans and mashed sweet potatoes are great alongside this meatloaf. For the sweet potatoes, boil 1 peeled and cubed potato per person until tender, then mash with chicken stock, salt, pepper, nutmeg and maple syrup to taste. The meatloaf can be covered and refrigerated for a make-ahead meal. Reheat in a moderate oven or slice and heat in a pan with chicken stock. The gravy, without the egg yolk, can be made ahead of time and refrigerated. Reheat over medium heat and add the egg yolk as directed.
- Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock, cider and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Simmer until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Lightly beat the egg yolk, if using, in a medium bowl. Slowly pour in some of the gravy, whisking constantly to temper the yolk. Whisk in the remaining gravy. Transfer to a gravy boat or serving dish and garnish with parsley, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 652 |
| Total Fat | 40 g |
| Saturated Fat | 17 g |
| Carbohydrates | 31 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 11 g |
| Protein | 42 g |
| Cholesterol | 217 mg |
| Sodium | 1111 mg |
Reviews
It was decent. I followed the recipe except I used dried box stuffing instead of fresh bc my store was out. I liked the flavor but it was a little too moist for me I prefer a drier meatloaf especially if serving with gravy. If I made again I would: omit the cranberries if I’m serving with cranberry sauce (which I did), use less or no stock, and omit the cheese. The cheese probably added to the flavor but I didn’t like the texture it added. I would probably just add more poultry seasoning instead especially to save on fat and calories. But I love the idea of a Thanksgiving flavored meatloaf and my husband and kiddo gobbled it up.
This recipe is a keeper! It was hit with our family and I will make this again!! It tasted like Thanksgiving dinner all in one!The perfect balance of sweet and savory. Excellent!
Followed recipe to a “T” but didn’t make the gravy.- we really didn’t enjoy the sweetness the apple brought or the cranberries.. We like a ” savory” meatloaf- not sweet.will not make this again
In our rotation. I use 1/2 cup applesauce instead of apple. I always seem to use 1/2 cup less stock in gravy. Enjoy!
Delicious.. easily the tastiest meatloaf I have ever had. Even the kids loved it.
This is a great recipe and I highly recommend it. However, I live alone so I didn’t make it in one big loaf. I made 6 big muffin tin meat loafs and 3 patties in my 5 inch cast iron skillets. You can reduce the roasting time to 20 mins. The patties make awesome meatloaf sandwiches. This also freezes well.
Delicious Delicious Delicious
I watched this episode recently and thought it sounded yummy. When I suggested it to my husband he wasn’t so keen on the idea of cranberries in the meatloaf! So last night I made it with my daughters help and it was a huge success everyone went back for seconds even my husband! We made the gravy also and we served it with honey cinnamon dinner rolls it hit all the thanksgiving notes! My 8 year old son wants it again tonite! So glad we tried it thanks Rachel for the twist on meatloaf.
This is delicious. I have made it several times. I even made it with ground venison the last time and it was just as good. It is a new staple for me
Pretty good, but not excellent. It’s a nice twist on meatloaf and a nice change from the norm. Made the gravy too and it came out a little thinner than most. Would make again, but not very often.