Barbara's Applesauce Meat Loaf
Submitted by smurfette
Barbara’s Applesauce Meat Loaf makes a lighter turkey meatloaf with oats and unsweetened applesauce for moisture, cooked in a microwave in just 10 minutes with a ketchup-mustard glaze.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minGround turkey meatloaf has a reputation for turning out dry. Applesauce is the fix here. A third of a cup of unsweetened applesauce goes into the mix alongside oats (not breadcrumbs), providing the moisture that turkey’s lower fat content can’t supply on its own.
The cooking method is the real surprise. This meatloaf cooks in the microwave. Shaped into a circle in a 10-inch pie plate rather than a loaf pan, covered with wax paper, and run at full power for 10 minutes with a rotation at the halfway point. Done in less time than most ovens even preheat.
The ketchup-mustard glaze goes on before cooking so it sets into a sticky, slightly caramelized coating as the microwave runs. Let the finished loaf stand a full 10 minutes before slicing. The interior temperature continues rising during that rest, the juices redistribute, and the slices hold together properly instead of falling apart.
Kitchen Tips
- Shape the turkey into a uniform circle, about 8 inches across and 2 inches high. Uneven thickness leads to uneven cooking in a microwave.
- Rotate the dish exactly at the 5-minute mark. Microwaves have hot spots, and the rotation compensates.
- Check the internal temperature before serving. Ground turkey needs to reach 165F. The 10-minute standing time helps but verify with a thermometer.
Variations
- Add ¼ teaspoon dried thyme or Italian seasoning to the mix for an herbal note.
- Swap the ketchup glaze for your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Prefer the oven? Bake at 350F for 45 to 50 minutes in a loaf pan.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large bowl combine the turkey, egg, oatmeal, applesauce, onion, corn, red pepper, parsley, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and mix just until the ingredients are blended.
Using a 10-inch non-metal pie plate, form the meat into a circle about 8 inches in diameter and 2 inches high. Combine the ketchup, mustard and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl.
Spread it over the top of the meat loaf. Cover the top with wax paper, place the dish in the oven and cook the meat loaf on 100 % power (high) for 10 minutes, rotating the pan after 5 minutes. Remove the dish, carefully take off the waxed paper, and let the meat loaf stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
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