Turkey Meatloaf with Onion Gravy

4.84 from 6 votes

Inspired by a visit to Disney's Grand Floridian Cafe, this comforting plate of Turkey Meatloaf with Onion Gravy is nearly as delicious as a trip to Walt Disney World. Healthy and easy to make, it will win the dinner game with your entire family.

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time55 mins

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 186kcal

Author: Victoria

Ingredients

Turkey Meatloaf:

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 medium carrot peeled and grated
2 cloves garlic minced
1 ¼ pounds ground turkey (97% lean)
1 large egg
½ cup dried breadcrumbs
¼ cup beef or chicken broth, or milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Onion Gravy:

2 teaspoons olive oil or butter
1 medium onion halved and sliced ¼-inch thick
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups beef or chicken broth (beef broth will yield a darker brown gravy with a richer flavor)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
Add the olive oil to a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the onion, carrot, and garlic, and saute for about 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
In a large mixing bowl add the ground turkey, cooled onion-carrot mixture, egg, breadcrumbs, milk or broth, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt, pepper, and thyme. Mix together gently with your hands until ingredients are fully incorporated, but do not over-mix.
Shape the mixture into a free-from rectangular loaf shape on the prepared pan, measuring approximately 9-by-4-inches. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the loaf reads 165°F. Rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
Meanwhile, make the onion gravy. In a medium saucepan heat the oil or butter over medium-low heat. Add the onions and a big pinch of salt. Cover the onions and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions sweat and are softened.
Uncover and continue to cook for another few minutes, then dust with the flour, stirring to coat. Add the broth a little at a time, whisking thoroughly between additions to ensure a smooth gravy without lumps. Raise the heat to high. Add the Worcestershire sauce, thyme, and salt and pepper.
When the gravy starts bubbling, lower the heat to medium, and continue to cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until thick and flavorful.
Serve the meatloaf with mashed potatoes, and gravy drizzled over the top of both the meatloaf and potatoes.

Video

Notes

I suggest only cutting as many slices as you plan to serve (if you expect to have leftovers) and then reheating the remaining turkey meatloaf in a larger, solid piece in the oven or toaster oven. This will help it stay moist when you reheat it. Slice to serve after it's heated through.
This meatloaf can also yield 6 larger servings (thicker slices) instead of 8 if your family is especially hungry!
You can easily make this meatloaf gluten-free by using gluten-free breadcrumbs and gluten-free flour, and dairy-free by using broth (no milk) and oil (no butter).
I didn't include a recipe for mashed potatoes here, but here's what I usually do: Peel and cube up potatoes, add them to a large pot with salted water, then bring it to a boil. Lower the heat a bit so it doesn't boil over. Boil until the potatoes are tender, then drain. Mash with butter and milk (or buttermilk) and salt and pepper to taste. Sometimes I also boil whole cloves of garlic with my potatoes for garlic mashed potatoes!
This recipe uses kosher salt (aka cooking salt, kitchen salt, coarse salt outside of the US). If you are using table salt, definitely scale down the salt as that is a saltier type of salt! The type of salt will make a big difference in how salty your food tastes, so keep that in mind.

Nutrition