Turkey: The Other Ground Meat

When was the last time you substituted ground turkey for ground beef?  For most people, its probably never.  Ground turkey can be a great alternative to ground beef, but I like it mixed in with ground beef for meatloaf, burgers, and even meatballs.

Ground turkey is typically lower in fat and calories than ground beef (it totally depends on the quality of the meat).  At my local grocery store there is 93/7 "lean" ground turkey (93% lean/ 7% fat) and also "extra lean" 99/1 ground turkey.  Ground beef also comes in different ratios ranging from the typical 80/20 ground chuck all the way to 95/5 ground sirloin.  The higher the lean percentage, typically the more expensive your meat will be.

The turkey has a nice mellow flavor that, when used alone, lends it self to show off the flavors of whatever is being cooked with it, perhaps a nice sauce, certain spices, a special cheese or condiment.  Some people think ground turkey is tasteless, but I think that it is more of a blank canvas. For a nice spicy turkey burger roast a couple jalepenos and dice them finely to mix in the meat before cooking and add a piece of pepper jack cheese.

One of my favorite uses for ground turkey is to mix it with 90/10 ground beef for meatloaf.  My mom makes the BEST meatloaf.  This isn't really up for discussion as I've tried other's meatloaf.  And my mom's is clearly the best.  Your mom's is probably also the best, but since I haven't had hers, my  mom's reigns supreme. The measurements for the spices are estimates.  Mostly the way my mom measure is "a few shakes" or "a palm full" or something like that.  She just knows how much is perfect.

This is a picture of meatloaf.

My Mother's Best Meatloaf

8 oz Ground Beef
8 oz Ground Turkey
1 large egg
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Dry Mix
2 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp dried basil
2 tsp thyme

Put it all in a bowl and mix with hands.  Don't forget to take your jewelry off.


Hopefully if Mom reads this she can add anything I have forgotten.  I like the mix of the ground beef and turkey because it makes a firmer meatloaf.  A few times when I've made it with just the ground beef, my slices fall apart.  I use basically this same recipe for meatballs, but a little more bread crumbs and a little less milk.   One of the things I love about meatloaf is that you can put just about anything you want in it.  I've seen recipes that have sauteed carrots, onions, and celery.   Maybe try a teriyaki meatloaf by leaving out the oregano and basil and soy sauce instead of worcestershire and some pineapple on top.

If you're concerned about the price, just wait until ground turkey goes on sale.  Everything goes on sale eventually.  You're local warehouse store may also have it at a reasonable price.  Just make sure you're prepared for a lot of meatloaf.