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    You are here: Home » Dinner Recipes » Best Damn Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

    Best Damn Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

    Last Modified: January 19, 2025

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe·5 from 7 reviews

    This mouthwatering turkey meatloaf uses all easy ingredients to create a hearty, delicious meatloaf like no other. And to take it to the next level, we stuff it with mozzarella cheese and spinach for a meal that everyone will love!

    Recipe for spinach and mozzarella stuffed turkey meatloaf.

    I love a good meatloaf dinner. It’s the ultimate in comfort food and always hits the spot. Let’s take that classic comfort food and give it a slightly new twist. Ground turkey has an amazing texture and flavor that is so perfect for a recipe such as this. It takes on all the flavors very well and creates a most savory experience in every bite. And the spinach and mozzarella stuffing just brings it to all new heights. I think you’re really gonna love this one.

    What is Mozzarella and Spinach Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf?

    While most traditional meatloaf recipes are made with a combination of beef and pork, we’ll use lean ground turkey mixed with simple, pantry-friendly ingredients for our meatloaf mixture. Then, instead of just shaping it into a loaf and baking it, we’ll make some room in the center and load it up with a mixture of shredded mozzarella cheese and chopped spinach. The results are divine. This meatloaf is so savory and SO satisfying, it really is the ultimate comfort food.

    Equipment and Ingredients

    This is a very easy recipe and everything we need you’ll likely have on hand. Our meatloaf will cook on a sheet pan (cookie sheet or baking sheet) which we’ll line with foil or parchment for easy cleanup. We’ll also need a couple of mixing bowls.

    We’re gonna get a lot of flavor from some really simple ingredients. Naturally, we’ll be using ground turkey. I like to use lean turkey which is usually somewhere between 93 and 97% lean. The meat will be seasoned with Italian flavored bread crumbs, Italian seasoning blend, kosher salt and ground black pepper. Some milk and an egg will bring it all together.

    Mixing the ingredients to make our stuffed turkey meatloaf.

    For the stuffing in the center, we’ll use a half cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and some defrosted frozen chopped spinach. A half of a 10oz block of frozen spinach is perfect. You can also feel free to adjust the amounts of spinach and cheese to your personal liking.

    Mixing spinach and mozzarella cheese for a stuffed turkey meatloaf recipe.

    The meatloaf will then be topped with about ¾ cup of our favorite marinara sauce. And for something a little extra special, add some optional fresh basil and parmesan cheese just prior to serving. Oh my goodness!

    Preparation

    One thing to keep in mind prior to getting started is that ground turkey has a much softer texture than ground beef or pork. It’s best to work with it while is cold right out of the fridge. We don’t want to leave it out long as it will soften up and be a little tougher to work with.

    Preheat oven to 375°F and line a sheet pan with foil or parchment paper. Give it a little spray with some non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a medium bowl, add together the spinach and mozzarella cheese.

    Working with the spinach

    For this recipe, we’re using 1.25 cups of frozen chopped spinach, thawed. This is the equivalent of a half package of the 10oz of frozen blocks of chopped spinach that are so common. You can actually use a serrated knife and cut the block right in half. Or, if using a bag of frozen chopped spinach simply measure out about 1.25 cups. A little over or under is fine.

    It’s important that we drain the spinach of excess water. We don’t want soggy spinach in our meatloaf.

    You can use the microwave to defrost the spinach fairly easily. Or, put the frozen spinach in a zip-top bag in the fridge overnight or on the countertop for an hour or two. You can also run the package under cool water for several minutes.

    To drain the spinach, place a colander over a bowl and add the spinach. Use a wooden spoon or spatula and press down several times to squeeze out as much water as possible. You’ll see quite a bit of water going down into the bowl. Do this a few times, then pat it down with some paper towels and you’ll be all good.

    In a large bowl add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, beaten egg, milk, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and mix it all by hand until just incorporated. Wet your hands with cold water to help prevent it from sticking.

    We’ll construct our meatloaf first by taking ⅔ of the meat mixture and laying it out on the lined sheet pan. Gently shape it into a loaf of approximately 9″ x 5″ and press down in the middle, creating the cavity for the spinach and cheese mixture. You don’t have to be perfect with any of this.

    Creating the indentation to add the spinach and mozzarella cheese for our stuffed turkey meatloaf recipe.

    Now add the spinach and cheese mixture and continue shaping as needed to get the mixture in.

    Adding the spinach and mozzarella to our stuffed turkey meatloaf.

    Take the remaining meat and shape it to cover the top. You’ll have to press and pull a bit to get it to all come together but really, however you make it work will be fine.

    Creating the top layer for stuffed turkey meatloaf.

    Press the edges together, and continue to shape with wet hands until you have the perfectly stuffed meatloaf ready to go into the oven!

    Forming our stuffed turkey meatloaf into the final loaf shape.

    Cooking

    In it goes at 375°F for 40 minutes. After the 40 minutes, take it out and add the marina sauce to the whole loaf. Use a brush to get the sides too. Then back in it goes for another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature at the center of the meatloaf measures 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. An instant-read thermometer is your best friend for recipes such as this – assuring a perfectly done dish.

    Let Cool and Serve

    When the meatloaf is done, remove from oven and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes before slicing. This will make it much easier to work with.

    Topping our turkey meatloaf with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

    While it’s cooling you can top it with about a tablespoon of fresh chopped basil and sprinkle with some grated parmesan cheese. Both of these ingredients really bring out those Italian flavors and the basil especially, is so lively and vibrantly delicious in a dish such as this.

    Slicing our mozzarella and spinach stuffed turkey meatloaf.

    Make it your own!

    Want to add your own special touch? No problem. I know people can have favorite ingredients to add to meatloaf and you can certainly do that here.

    Caramelized onions: Adding caramelized onions to meatloaf can really create a deep, delicious flavor profile. You don’t need much. Cook down a ½ of a medium onion and add it directly to the meat mixture.

    Bell peppers: Finely diced bell peppers are an excellent addition to any meatloaf recipe.

    Garlic: Who doesn’t love garlic, right? Add a clove or two of grated garlic to the meat mixture. You can also use some garlic powder. Just keep in mind that the Italian breadcrumbs will have some garlic flavor in it as well.

    Glaze on: While I love the marina sauce on this meatloaf, the good old common ketchup glaze tastes great too.

    Worcestershire Sauce: This is a common addition for extra savory flavor.

    Storage and Reheating

    After cooking and cooling your turkey meatloaf, slice it up and wrap each piece in plastic wrap or put in airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months for best quality.

    To reheat: If frozen, let it thaw in the fridge first. Set your oven to 300°F and put the meatloaf in an oven-safe dish with a little bit of broth or water. Cover the dish with foil and heat it up for about 15 to 20 minutes. For microwave, put it on a plate, cover, and heat for about 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.

    Print

    Recipe

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    Best Damn Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf


    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    5 from 7 reviews

    • Author: RecipeTeacher
    • Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
    • Yield: 4-6 servings
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    This mouthwatering turkey meatloaf is loaded with flavor and stuffed with a mixture of mozzarella cheese and chopped spinach for an extra hearty, awesome comfort food dinner.


    Ingredients

    • 1 lb ground turkey, lean
    • 1.25 cups (5oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
    • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    • ¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs
    • ½ cup whole milk
    • ½ cup marinara sauce
    • 1 egg, beaten
    • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
    • 1 tsp kosher salt
    • ½ tsp ground black pepper
    • 2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
    • 1 tbs chopped fresh basil (optional)

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 375°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil, then give it a spray with non-stick cooking spray.
    2. In a medium bowl, combine spinach and mozzarella.
    3. In a separate large bowl, mix turkey, breadcrumbs, milk, beaten egg, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until just combined.
    4. Using hands (wet with cold water to prevent sticking), pat ⅔ of the turkey mixture into a 9×5-inch log on the prepared baking sheet. Form a deep indentation down the center of the turkey mixture. Fill the indentation with spinach mixture. Top with remaining turkey mixture, forming into a loaf.
    5. Bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, remove from oven and spread marinara evenly over meatloaf. Continue to bake 15 more minutes or until internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Top with Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh basil. Let cool 5-10 minutes. Slice and serve.

    Notes

    Make sure spinach is drained of water.

    • Prep Time: 15 min
    • Cook Time: 55 min
    • Category: Dinner
    • Method: Oven
    • Cuisine: American

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    Comments

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      Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    1. Marnie says

      April 30, 2025 at 3:47 pm

      Very good. Easy dinner with a nice salad. I tried a glaze but I missed the marinara. With the cheese and basil its calling for marinara for sure.

      Reply
    2. Toni says

      June 06, 2024 at 9:42 am

      I made this turkey meatloaf for my family and it is the best damn turkey meatloaf, yet! I have tried several recipes and often it’s dry and tasteless. This will be a make again recipe! Delicious!

      Reply
    3. Joan says

      May 29, 2024 at 10:06 am

      Made this last night. Delicious. Will definitely make it again. First time using ground turkey. American goulash is next on the list.

      Reply
      • RecipeTeacher says

        May 29, 2024 at 11:02 am

        I’m so glad you liked it Joan! I’m a big fan of ground turkey. We actually use it more than ground beef.

        Reply
    4. e svensson says

      April 18, 2024 at 8:32 pm

      This is a wonderful recipe and so easy. I use a lemon pepper mix which already has garlic and onion. It’s got so much flavor and if there’s some left, it freezes very well.
      There’s a little juice that comes ogg during baking which is super flavorful. Love it!

      Reply
    5. Nora S, says

      March 17, 2024 at 8:38 pm

      Great meatloaf recipe! I am known for not sticking to recipes so I omitted the salt, and used rehydrated spinach instead of frozen. I used plain breadcrumbs and increased the Italian seasoning to 1 tablespoon. I will make this recipe again! Thanks Recipe Teacher for all your wonderful recipes.

      Reply
      • RecipeTeacher says

        March 17, 2024 at 8:47 pm

        Thanks Nora! Sounds like your substitutions work great. Thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    6. GEORGE POE says

      March 09, 2024 at 6:15 pm

      Made this tonight. Outstanding! Will cut back on spinach and add more mozzarella next time. 4.5 stars out of 5

      Reply
    7. Christine Manaro says

      August 12, 2023 at 11:12 am

      I made this dish last night, and it is true to it’s name. It IS the Best Damn Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf!! So tasty and easy to make. This will definitely be a staple in my dinner rotation. Jason also gives very good tips on working with ground turkey. Thank you for this amazing recipe!

      Reply
    8. Joan says

      August 08, 2023 at 5:55 pm

      Very tasty ???? I used fresh spinach because I couldn’t find frozen.

      Reply
      • RecipeTeacher says

        August 08, 2023 at 10:24 pm

        Awesome Joan! Thanks for the feedback!

        Reply
    9. Kat Leonard says

      August 08, 2023 at 9:09 am

      Your recipes are so good. I have your recipes on my Pinterest as a category so I can find them easily. Thank you for your recipes they are so “Damn Delicious”.

      Reply
    Jason of Recipeteacher.com

    Hi, I’m Jason and i’m here to help you make easy, delicious homemade recipes. My approach is to provide the easy-to-understand instructions, use simple ingredients, and have you make the best meals possible.

    More about me →

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