Not Your Mama's Meatloaf

We’ve taken turkey meatloaf up a notch by adding spicy-sweet, nutrient-packed chutney

- JONNY BOWDEN, PHD, CNS, AND JEANNETTE BESSINGER, CHHC

My mother, bless her heart, was not exactly a great cook. (True story: Until I was a teenager, I actually thought spaghetti and meatballs came out of a can.) But she did know how to make meatloaf, which she actually did rather well. So meatloaf occupies a warm, fuzzy spot in my culinary memory bank, just like it does for so many other people.

The problem is that conventional meatloaf is high in fat and calories, stuffed with bread crumbs (unnecessary carbs and calories), and most often made with meat that contains hormones, steroids, and antibiotics. Enter this crowd-pleasing, low-cal version made with clever substitutions that boost its nutritional value without losing one iota of flavor or comfort. Lean turkey instead of feedlot-farmed mystery meat, rolled oats instead of breadcrumbs, a bevy of nutrient-packed vegetables, and a healthy dose of chutney for a sweet and exotic spiciness. My mother would have loved it!

Notes from the Clean Food Coach: We don’t normally opt for no-fat ground meats, but in this recipe, it’s more aesthetically pleasing to use ground turkey that’s low in fat so excess oils don’t pool around your meatloaf “cupcake.”

Chutney Mini Meatloaves

Makes 12 mini-loaves

Cool leftover meatloaves completely in the refrigerator and then freeze extras for a tasty, easy, protein-packed snack or mini-meal anytime.

1 egg