This meatloaf recipe is one of my personal favorites, so I spent some time revamping it and photographing the finished product. I’m learning quite a bit about food photography, but making meatloaf look good in a picture is one heck of a challenge. My mom came over while I was working on it and teased me for the studio setup I had around a big hunk of meat I had on a plate. But I’m happy with the outcome.

Lucky for me, this meatloaf is super easy to cook up, so at least that step didn’t take long.

You literally throw a bunch of ingredients together and microwave them.

Out comes a surprisingly moist, tasty meatloaf and you can have a big slice of it too!

When I read about microwaving meatloaf by adding marinara sauce to retain the moisture, I had to give it a shot. And of course, I needed to try and volumize it by adding a ton of vegetables so that I could eat more. I tried it with ground beef first, but found that the calories added up a little too fast for my liking. I considered ground sirloin, but who’s got the money for that.

And if I’m going to eat sirloin, I don’t want it ground. What a waste.

So I went with turkey. That really did the trick. I used a blend of spices I thought favored the turkey. Even though the recipe calls for 1/8 tsp for each spice, I really just gave each spice jar 4 or 5 dashes, so it’s not an exact science.

The real star in this recipe is the ketchup and brown sugar blend. I don’t know why, but these two together with meatloaf equals a sweet, savory combination that’s really enjoyable. Pair it with a red wine. You won’t be disappointed.

Though, I might add that a 5 oz glass of red wine usually runs at about 125 calories…just saying.

This doesn’t need to be anything fancy though. Most of these ingredients are usually hanging around my kitchen, so when getting to the grocery store isn’t an option, I can throw this together. It’s a microwave dinner that’s actually home cooking.

Yields: 4 Servings
Cook time: 10 Minutes

Lean Microwave Meatloaf – 283 calories per serving

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground coriander
1 pound ground turkey
2 egg whites
cooking spray
1/2 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp Splenda Brown Sugar Blend
carrot shavings for garnish (optional)

Combine first 13 ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Coat a microwave safe loaf pan with cooking spray. Transfer meatloaf mixture to the loaf pan, but do not pack it down. Cover with a paper towel and put in the microwave. Microwave on HIGH for 9 minutes (or until the center registers 165°F). Combine the ketchup and the Splenda Brown Sugar Blend in a small bowl and brush over turkey loaf. Return loaf to the microwave, recover with the paper towel, and heat on HIGH for 1 minute. Garnish with carrot shavings if desired.

Nutritional Info:

Nutrition Disclaimer: I am not a certified nutritionist…these are just the calculations I’m pretty sure are close to correct. I use BodyMediato generate my information.

Calories: 283
Fat: 9.2g
Saturated Fat: 2.2g
Cholesterol: 80mg
Sodium: 713.2mg
Carbohydrates: 22.1g
Dietary Fiber: 1.5g
Sugar: 13.6g
Protein: 27.3g

Dietary Exchange: 3 ½ Meat, 1 ½ Starch, 2 Veg

Jenny Craig: It’s a little high in protein compared to a normal Jenny meal, but the calories are right where you want them, as are the carbs and fat. I’d eat it on a day when you have a Jenny cereal for breakfast, rather than a higher protein breakfast such as the Breakfast Scramble.

Weight Watchers: 7 Points (using calculatorcat.com)