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Dotdash Meredith/Janet Maples
There’s no denying that food and mood influence each other profoundly. A PB&J sandwich stirs up our nostalgia bone. A bubbly cocktail always feels festive. And a big bowl of Grandma’s chicken soup? Now that’s comforting and so good for the soul.
When an Ina Garten fan recently wrote to the Barefoot Contessa to ask which of her recipes she’d recommend for someone who “is feeling blue and needs some comfort food,” our ears perked up. In addition to her classic Roast Chicken and Parmesan Chive Smashed Potatoes, Ina recommends her Turkey Meatloaf. To ensure we were prepared to cure our next case of the blues, we couldn’t resist diving into Ina’s ultimate pick-me-up recipe.
Ina Garten's Turkey Meatloaf
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
We are already huge fans of Ina’s Best Meatloaf, which is our current gold standard for comfort food. Made with ground beef and topped with a generous layer of ketchup, it’s a “definite example of how simple things done right really make the best dishes,” according to our culinary producer Nicole McLaughlin.
Knowing this, Ina’s swap for turkey was an easy sell, and we knew it must be good if the celebrity chef and author cherry-picked this main dish from her ample archives. Ina’s Turkey Meatloaf recipe originally appeared in her debut book, “The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook,” back in 1999, then resurfaced again on a 2003 episode of her television series “Barefoot Contessa.”
Fans who have made the dish deem it a “delicious meatloaf like your mom or grandma made.” One fan even confirmed it’s been a “favorite family recipe—for years, my kids ask me to make this over and over again.” Even if you’re not usually a fan of meatloaf, this one might win you over, according to one Ina fan: “I hate meatloaf, but this is the absolute best recipe. This is one of my go-to dishes when I’m craving comfort food.”
I Tried Our Most Popular Meatloaf Recipes and This One Was, Without a Doubt, the Best
So what makes this main such a marvel? Similar to its beef-based cousin, Ina’s Turkey Meatloaf recipe is a masterclass in simplicity. It starts with a mountain of sautéed onions, which team up with Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, eggs, and tomato paste to ensure each ounce of the meatloaf is juicy. The formula features just enough bread crumbs to hold things together without feeling dry, and a dash of thyme lends aromatic herb flavor. As for the topping, there’s no need to fuss over some fancy glaze. Good ol’ ketchup is what crowns this comfort food creation, just before it heads to the oven to bake.
Even if your blue mood has you feeling less-than-energetic, this comfort food recipe is quite approachable. Simply sauté, mix, shape, glaze, and cook. As Ina says, “How easy is that?”
And the best part is that it’s designed to feed a crowd. With five pounds of meat invited to the party, Ina estimates that this serves eight to 10, but we bet we could get 15 servings out of this. Sure, you could cut the recipe in half to make a more family-sized portion, but why bother when meatloaf freezes so beautifully?
To freeze meatloaf for your future self to savor no matter the mood, wrap slices of meatloaf in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. Transfer the double-wrapped slices to a zip-top bag, then label it with the name and date. Freeze for up to four months. Thaw as many slices as you would like overnight in the refrigerator, and enjoy them as-is with your favorite side dish, or stuff them into a sandwich or casserole—the options are endless.
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