Pizza-Style Meatloaf

I have been obsessed with meatloaf recently. I don’t know why. I never ate it as a child. I never liked it. I don’t like ketchup in general and my generation grew up eating meatloaf with ketchup slathered on top. But I didn’t. I rejected anything that had ketchup on it. To this day, I look for meatball recipes without ketchup. I’ve found some good looking recipes that call for ketchup and looked up ketchup alternatives.

I think the thing I love about meatloaf is that it seems to go a long way. I baked up at two or three pound loaf and then eat it for weeks, freezing portions for laters days. I like how easy it is to reheat. You can quickly reheat in the microwave or take more time by reheating on the stove-top or in the oven.

During the week, I’m looking for a quick dinner to make. I don’t have the time or energy to put much muss or fuss into dinner. So meatloaf works well for me. I found a recipe to use the three-pound package of ground turkey in my freezer at Organize Yourself Skinny. I fell in love with the recipe immediately upon seeing it. I mean I love meatloaf. And I love pizza. So why not combine the two?

My adaptation of the recipe is below. My only regret is that I didn’t use more pepperoni. It’s my opinion there’s no such thing as too much pepperoni. I used one package but would up it to two packages next time.

 directions.

1. Heat oil in a large pan and sauté onions and mushrooms until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
2. While the vegetables cool, mix together the meatloaf. In a large bowl add ground turkey, eggs, ¾ cup pizza sauce, pepperoni, 1 cup mozzarella cheese, seasonings and salt, Worcestershire sauce, and parmesan cheese. Add the cooled onions and mushrooms. Mix all the ingredients until combined.
3. Form meatloaf mixture into a loaf on a pan sprayed with cooking spray. Cover until ready to bake.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Spread remaining pizza sauce over the top. Sprinkle with extra Italian seasoning if you feel so inclined.
6. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 F. Remove meatloaf from oven and set oven to broil. Sprinkle with cheese and top with pepperoni for garnish. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes or until cheese is melted and pepperoni is crisp.
7. Let cool slightly. Cut into slices and serve hot. Or let cool completely, cut and then reheat. The latter option is the easier in my opinion!

The Organize Yourself Skinny recipe calls for turkey pepperoni. I glanced at the turkey pepperoni in the refrigerator case but it just looked fake to me. Like turkey bacon. So fake! So instead I got reduced fat pepperoni to try to make the dish “healthier.” If fake pepperoni doesn’t bother you, get the turkey pepperoni. If you’re not worried about fat or calories – go for the real deal. I even found some fancy pepperoni in a stick that I almost bought and carved up into little chunks. But ultimately laziness won over and I went with the already sliced stuff.

Recipe rating: 