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I must admit that I have never been a fan of meatloaf. I have always found it to be dry, bland, and really rather gross. I know that when I was forced to eat it as a child, I swore that I would never again eat it as an adult!! And then one day while making chicken meatballs, I thought, “Hmmm…. I like these meatballs, which are kind of like itty bitty meatloaves – I wonder if I made meatloaf using ground poultry if I would like that too?” So I tried it – and I actually liked it! It came out very moist, with a light onion flavor, and a great texture. And the best part of all? It was low calorie, and really easy.

If you were like me and tended to shy away from meatloaf, you have to give this a try – it just might change your opinion. This is nothing like the doughy, breadcrumb laden version that we were served as kids – it is actually pleasing to the palate! But unfortunately ( just like when you were a kid) I’m still going to tell you that have to finish your vegetables!!

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup skim milk

1 medium onion, peeled

2 pounds ground turkey breast

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

2 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

(8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 cup low fat shredded mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl combine the ground turkey, oat and milk mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper; mix together until well combined.

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2-3 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour (take the meatloaf out to sprinkle on the cheese (if using) about 10 minutes before it is ready so that the cheese melts).

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing (this help keeps the meatloaf moist).

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Makes 4 Servings. Per Serving (with cheese): 215 calories, 3 g total fat, less than 0.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat, 12 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 0 g added sugar, 32 g protein, 186 mg sodium, 11 mg cholesterol