BBQ Grilled Meatloaf

Ohhhh meatloaf. You are such awesome traditional comfort food fare.

I actually don’t make it very often, but the guys around here go crazy for meatloaf when I put it on the table. (and they don’t even notice that I always use ground turkey instead of ground beef!)

THIS meatloaf is another of my recipes walking the fast weeknight meal/Labor Day line. It’s full of BBQ-ey things. And I grilled it.

Do you cook out for Labor Day? I, personally, am a big fan of Monday holidays because they erase all the Sunday night stress. Sundays after about 4 pm are a whole lot of no fun. I always feel like I’m racing around trying to make sure all my Monday stuff is lined up– work, laundry, lunch box things, and then we have to have a meal in there somewhere. Monday doom impending.

Monday holidays erase all that. Plus they make the week go in hyper-drive and before you know it it’s Friday again and Fridays are all full of fun and promise and awesome things that are nothing like Monday.

Gosh that was a lot of words about nothing. Anyway.

We are going tubing this weekend. Have you ever been tubing? I haven’t gone since I was a kid and had no fear. I’m pretty excited about it but also a little freaked out. My sister sent me a freaky article about tubing and then there is the creature factor. I DO NOT LIKE CREATURES IN THE WATER. Can we go tubing in a swimming pool? Just to make sure that no weird fish touch me? Or alligators? I mean … this is the south. I’m pretty sure there are alligators and that is the opposite of cool.

Alligators are like real live dinosaurs.

When I went tubing as a kid I can remember a girl in our group really didn’t know how to steer her inner-tube and she kind of kept drifting under trees near the bank and that is such a bad idea because everyone knows that’s where all the creatures are. THEN her tube started floating towards the bank and we just happened to be cruising past a farm and there was a cow just kind of hanging out in the water on a little shoal. She started shrieking and completely fah-reaked out. I can remember thinking it was kind of funny because the cow just looked at her like she was being ridiculous and did not even budge. I would much rather try to reason with a cow than an alligator. Just saying.

So let’s talk BBQ. This BBQ Grilled Meatloaf is completely awesome. It is full of BBQ flavor sort of similar to my Best BBQ Chicken Rub, oats, caramelized onions, and BBQ sauce (I used homemade but just use your favorite!). It’s ground turkey so it’s lean, and it’s baked first, then sliced, and then grilled while brushing on more BBQ sauce. It is SO delicious. Also make extra because it makes an awesome sandwich. This is kind of a cool twist on traditional BBQ fare (and easier to serve than burgers with a bazillion toppings) and was a major hit around here. If you are majorly pressed for time the meatloaf can actually be made and baked a day ahead of time, refrigerated, and then sliced and grilled.

BBQ Grilled Meatloaf

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Healthed up meatloaf with a BBQ twist!!!

Author: Heather Tullos

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup red onion, diced (about 1 medium onion)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• pinch of salt
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• ½ cup oats
• ½ cup BBQ sauce
• 1 egg
• 1½ teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin
• More BBQ sauce for brushing the meatloaf while grilling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Place the onion, butter, olive oil, and salt in a small skillet. Cook over medium high heat for about 15 minutes until the onions are soft with a nice caramel color.
3. While the onions cook, add the ground turkey, oats, BBQ sauce, and egg to a large bowl. Add the chili powder, brown sugar, paprika, black pepper, garlic powder, and cumin. Toss in the cooked caramelized onions and then mix everything together to combine (I use my hands).
4. Spray a 9 X 5 bread pan with non-stick cooking spray and press the turkey mixture into the pan. Bake for about 40 minutes. (see note)
5. Let the meatloaf cool some and then turn out of the pan. Slice about 1½ - 2 inches thick.
6. Heat the grill to about medium high (shoot for between 350 & 450). Place the slices of meatloaf on the grill grates. Brush the exposed side with more BBQ sauce. Cook for about 3 minutes, turn the slices and brush the exposed side with BBQ sauce. Cook for another minute or two, remove and serve!

Notes

You can prepare this all the way up until Step 4 ahead of time. Just let the baked meatloaf cool and then cover and refrigerate until you are ready to grill. This can be done a day ahead of time. You can also serve this after Step 4 if your grilling gets rained out!!!

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What’s on your agenda this weekend?!