This is a completely different take on meatloaf. It is gooey with melted cheddar, has a touch of sweetness from the apples, and is toothsomely tender from the use of both pork and turkey. The pockets of savory cheddar and sweet apples also break up what is often a dense chunk of meat in most meatloaves. Feel free to substitute other ground meats (such as chicken) or change the proportions to suit what you have on hand, although beef doesn't go quite as well with the slightly sweet flavours here.
Ingredients
2 lb ground turkey
1 lb ground pork
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cups diced apples (peel on or off)
6 oz cheddar, cut into small cubes
1 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (see my recipe here)
1/2 cup ketchup or barbecue sauce (organic if that's important for you)
1/2 onion, halved and thinly sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 F.
In a large bowl mix meats, garlic, breadcrumbs, apples and cheddar. Mix well. Just use your hands; they are faster and more thorough than any spoon.
Mold into a loaf shape and place in a 5"x12" loaf pan. Alternatively, you can shape into two loaves and place into two 5"x9" loaf pans.
Bake 1 hour and 30 minutes for one large loaf or 50 minutes for 2 smaller loaves.
Meanwhile, combine apple sauce, ketchup (or barbecue sauce) and onions in a small bowl. Pour mixture evenly over loaves. Bake an additional 20 minutes. If desired, broil for 5 minutes or so to brown the onions on top.
Serves 8. Recipe can easily be halved but, trust me, you want leftovers!
I have been making this recipe for close to 10 years. When I google searched it for this article, I found it was published by the Dairy Farmers of Canada in 2019. My recipe is a very slight variation, but you can find their recipe here. That is not where I originally found it (and it was years before 2019) but I have no record of where I got that first recipe from. So, if it looks familiar to you, please let me know so that I can give credit where it is due!