Turkey Meatloaf and Sweet Potato Dinner

This is a slightly leaner take on the classic meatloaf dinner : Guilt-free comfort food. We’re using ground lean turkey instead of beef and sweet potatoes instead of the traditional mashed potato side. Paired with your favorite veggies, this complete meal is sure to warm the soul (and taste buds). Simple recipe - heart-warming flavors. 

This recipe yields 2-3 servings, so if you’re serving for a group, double the portions.

Sweet Potatoes:

4 Sweet Potatoes

1 tsp Nutmeg

1 tsp Cinnamon 

1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. Butter or Margarine (softened)

1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

Meatloaf:

16 oz. Ground Lean Turkey

1 Packet of Onion Soup Mix

2 Tbsp. Ketchup

¼ sup Shredded Mozzarella

First, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Next, wash and peel the sweet potatoes. They are tough to peel - you either need a very hardy peeler or just use a paring knife and skin it carefully. It doesn’t have to be pretty because you’ll be quartering the sweet potatoes into bite size pieces. 

Once peeled and quartered, place sweet potatoes pieces in a deep baking pan with about ½ cup of water. Add nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, vanilla and butter and mix until ingredients are evenly coated. Cover with foil and bake for about 40 minutes. You are basically steaming the sweet potatoes in the sweet liquid and spices to make the dish gooey and soft!

While the sweet potatoes get started in the oven, mix the turkey and onion soup mix. So easy, right? Put half of the meat mixture in the bottom of the loaf pan, then sprinkle the cheese evenly on top. Then, layer on the remainder of the meat mixture - now your meatloaf is loaded with cheese to keep it creamy and moist. Shape the loaf so it resembles a small loaf of bread. Lastly, spread ketchup on the top of the meatloaf - this will give it that lovely crust and sheen. Place in the oven and bake for 35 minutes. 

When the sweet potatoes come out, remove the covering - let cool for 5 minutes before serving. The, slice meatloaf like you’re slicing bread - take a few slices and a generous scoop of sweet potatoes and serve with your favorite veggie!