Turkey Meatloaf

Recipe from Mark Ladner

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated October 28, 2024

  • Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
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Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
4(1,492)
Comments
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This is a recipe that helps explain the Twitter-era term "humblebrag." I made it for the celebrated writer and filmmaker Nora Ephron after a different recipe resulted in a disaster and I had to discard the result with only a few hours before my dinner with -- did I mention? -- Nora Ephron. It derives from a meatball dish once cooked by the chef Mark Ladner at the restaurant Lupa in Manhattan, and published as a recipe in Details magazine in the early years of the century. I scaled it up over the years, increasing some spices here and there, lessening others, until I had what I thought to be a pretty terrific meatloaf. But don't take my word for it. “This is remarkable,” Ms. Ephron told me. I'm bragging about it still. —Sam Sifton

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

  • 8 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 cup fresh bread crumbs of any provenance

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ¼ cup whole milk

  • 1 pound ground turkey

  • 1 pound sweet Italian pork sausage, casing removed, crumbled

  • ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 4 ounces bacon, chopped

  • 1 medium red onion, finely chopped

  • 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, seeds removed

  • 1 cup red wine

  • ¼ bunch mint

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 to 8 servings)

7 grams carbs; 89 milligrams cholesterol; 418 calories; 14 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 31 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 587 milligrams sodium; 23 grams protein; 2 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine ⅔ of the garlic, the rosemary, pepper flakes, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add the milk and mix. Add the turkey and sausage and mix once more to combine; don’t overmix. Transfer onto a board and shape into a fine meatloaf, about 9 inches long and 4 inches wide.

  2. Step 2

    Place in a baking pan with high sides (a 9 x12 pan with 2-inch sides works well), drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bake for 25 minutes, turning halfway through to brown evenly. Remove from the oven and reduce the heat to 325 degrees.

  3. Step 3

    Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan over medium heat, fry the bacon in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil until it starts to curl and its fat is rendered. Add the onions and remaining garlic, cooking until the onions are translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and wine and bring to a boil.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the sauce over the meatloaf, cover tightly with foil and bake until a meat thermometer inserted at the center reads 150 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Transfer the meatloaf to a platter and let stand, tented with foil, for 10 to 20 minutes; its internal temperature will rise to 160 to 165. Cut into thick slices, spoon tomato sauce over the top and scatter with torn mint leaves.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
1,492 user ratings
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Comments

Meta

Came out well. Made it exactly as directed, except that I did not remove the seeds from the canned tomatoes (are you kidding me?). Might reduce the oil to 2 Tbsp. given the bacon fat.

Tim

I liked this meatloaf a lot. I used dark ground turkey and sweet Italian chicken sausage (which I pulsed in a food processor to break up). The meatloaf plus sauce seemed a little less heavy than regular meatloaves that use beef. The bacon is a nice touch, but I might reduce the amount of bacon next time to make the sauce a little less smoky.

JJ

Great dish. Don't skip the mint; whatever it does, it's magic.

Ed

It was delightful. We will make it again.

Michael

One star. It's not turkey meatloaf. It's Italian sausage loaf. There is no way to even tell there is turkey in the loaf. The sausage creates a completely different texture compared to a real turkey meatloaf. Not hapy that I made this.

Deb A

Not a true turkey meatloaf, too much fat and sauce. Directions, did not say to reduce fat from bacon. I can do better than this! Hard to believe Nora Ephron said it was remarkable….

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Credits

Adapted from Mark Ladner

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