Greek Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf is a flavorful spin on the classic comfort food. Stuffed with feta and juicy from all the shredded zucchini, this healthy main dish will definitely become a new staple in your dinner rotation.
So, let’s talk meatloaf.
Meatloaf is kind of a conundrum to me, because it’s such a humble dish — yet my Mozzarella Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf one of the most popular recipes on my blog Savory Nothings.
I posted it allll the way back shortly after I started my blog, and it took me a million years to get the hint and post a new meatloaf: BBQ Turkey Meatloaf! It’s pretty amazing, if you ask me.
I know it has this reputation of being a heavy winter dish. But I set out to create a fresher, more summer-y version for you to try this year.
Enter Greek Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf. It’s full of amazing Greek flavors (looking at you, Feta cheese and oregano!) and pretty light in terms of meatloaf.
It’s also very delicious to make ahead and use on sandwiches for lunch – been there, done that, loved it.
Even my ground meat hating kid says YES to this fresh spin on meatloaf.
But health benefits, yummy flavors and picky eater tests aside – from one busy mom to another? The absolute best part is how easy this is to make!
My best tips to turn this Greek Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf into a foolproof family favorite recipe:
How to make this turkey zucchini meatloaf cheap:
- Stock up on ground turkey when it’s on sale in bulk batches! I find it sells at an even lower price if it’s in large packets. I just divide the meat between bags at home and stock up my freezer.
- Buy store-brand feta cheese and sun-dried tomatoes! I used to be snobby about this for a long time, but the price difference on these deli types of things is INSANE. And the flavor is usually not that much different… So no shame in buying store-brand for these things to save a few $$!
- Make it during zucchini season! Aka during summer when zucchini is on sale because it grows like crazy. You can make a large batch and freeze the meatloaves for later.
How to make this turkey zucchini meatloaf extra easy:
- Use a hand mixer with the hook attachment to knead the meat with the other ingredients. No messy hands and it is WAY faster!
- Make a large batch and freeze some meatloaves to bake up later. Way to get ahead with dinner prep!
- If you don’t want to bother with the feta stuffing, you can just crumble it into the meat mix and it will be just as delicious without the extra step of stuffing!
How to freeze this Greek Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf:
It’s very easy to freeze. Just wrap the unbaked loaves first I clingfilm, then tightly in aluminum foil.
Freeze for up to three months. To defrost, pop it in the fridge overnight. Remove the foil before baking and add another 10-15 minutes baking time of it’s not done after the time specified in the recipe.
You can also freeze it baked (and pre-sliced!) if you need to prepare your kitchen for very helpless people. I like to thaw it for a bit and then heat in the oven or microwave until steamy and piping hot all the way through.
Extra tips for foolproof cooking:
- Prepping the vegetables: Make sure to squeeze any extra liquid out of the shredded zucchini, or the meatloaf won’t hold together. And make sure to finely chop the remaining vegetables so you don’t end up with large chunks of onion in the loaf.
- Making the meat mixture: Be sure to knead the meat mix quite well, otherwise the meatloaf will turn out crumbly and tend to fall apart. That’s another reason I like to use a hand mixer — it does this job amazingly!
- Shaping the meatloaf: I just dump the entire meat mix on a lined sheet pan and shape it on there right away. Make sure to push it together quite firmly to keep it from falling apart.
- Baking the meatloaf: I always brush meatloaf three times with sauce. Once before baking, once during baking and once right after. This will keep the top from drying out, which is especially important for turkey meatloaf!
- Resting the meatloaf: I like letting my meatloaf rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing, as I find it tends to hold together a lot better after a little while.
We like serving this with a fresh, seasonal salad (strawberry spinach salad with feta and avocado is amazing!) or with a Greek pasta salad.
If you love a good meatloaf as much as I do and don’t want to miss out on it during the warmer months of the year — give this one a try.
In retrospect, the popularity of my original stuffed meatloaf recipe is probably not such a conundrum after all — who doesn’t love a plate full of comfort food, after all?!
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Greek Turkey Zucchini Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Lean Ground Turkey
- 1 large Egg
- 1 Zucchini Squash finely shredded and extra moisture squeezed
- 1 Red Onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 stalk Celery finely chopped
- 1 Green Onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 2 tablespoons Chopped Parsley
- 4 tablespoons Quick Oats soaked in 2 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- Black Pepper to taste
- 2 ounces Feta Cheese
- 2 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 tablespoon Hot Water
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Apricot Preserves
- 1/2 tablespoon Honey
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Make the meatloaf mixture: Place all ingredients for the meatloaf EXCEPT for the feta cheese in a large bowl. Mix until very well combined.
- Prep: At this point, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.
- Shape the meatloaf: Place 2/3 of the meat mix on the prepared baking sheet and shape into a loaf. Make an indent in the middle and crumble in the feta cheese. Cover with the remaining meat mix. Make sure you push it together into a firm loaf, otherwise it will fall apart.
- Brush with sauce: Stir together all ingredients for the sauce. Brush 1/3 of it all over the meatloaf.
- Bake the meatloaf: Bake the loaf for 30 minutes. Brush with another 1/3 of the sauce and finish baking for another 20-30 minutes, or until the internal temperature has reached 165°F. Immediately brush with the remaining sauce. Rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.