Honey-Sesame Turkey Meatloaves

Sometimes I'm in the mood for a dish that's light and easy to make for lunch or dinner. Ground Turkey is a leaner, healthier alternative to ground beef or pork. It's also inexpensive and often on sale in the grocery store. These Honey-Sesame Turkey Meatloaves are a great way to make individual portions that make serving a breeze! They're moist and packed with a ginger, garlicky flavor inside and a honey sesame glaze on the outside. So good!!!As I was forming the mini meatloaves, I weighed each meatloaf at 4.5 ounces to form 9 mini meatloaves. If you want to make them a little larger with less servings that is great too! Or 1 large meatloaf of 8 to 9 servings also works great with this recipe. If you have a smaller family or just want to make a smaller portion, halving the recipe works great too. I point this out because sometimes halving a recipe does not work but I promise this one does. 

HOW TO MAKE HONEY-SESAME TURKEY MEATLOAVESPreheat the oven to 425°F.In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and the onion, red bell pepper, garlic, and ginger (*see notes).Sauté the onion mixture, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, add the ground turkey, onion mixture, eggs, panko bread crumbs, 1-2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp ground black pepper.Mix together with a fork until combined.

Shape the turkey mixture into 9 (2 x 4-inch) loaves or 1 large loaf; place on a parchment-lined (optional) baking sheet.

Roast the meatloaves for 15-20 minutes, until an instant read thermometer reads 160°F-163°F (it will go under the broiler for a few more minutes up to 165°F) and remove from the oven.Remove any fat that has formed around the meatloaves with a spoon.Preheat the oven to BROIL and move the baking rack to the top.Combine the honey, sesame oil, and sesame seeds in a small bowl.Brush on top and sides of the meatloaves.

Broil the meatloaves for 2-4 minutes until lightly browned on top. Spoon the pan juices over the meatloaves. Garnish with chopped green onions.

NOTESGround turkey should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F but at the end of this recipe the meatloaves are glazed, then put back in the oven under the broiler. For this recipe, I recommend first roasting the meatloaves to between 160°F to 163°F. After glazing and putting back in the oven to broil, the turkey meatloaves will be at exactly 165°F. This ensures that they will not be overcooked. No one likes dry meatloaf!!!PICKLED GINGER: If using pickled ginger, don't sauté (cook) with veggies. Add it directly to the ground turkey-panko mixture. HALVE THE RECIPE: Makes 4-5 servings or 1 meatloafMAKE 1 LARGE MEATLOAF: Makes 8-9 servings15