Brains In Blood! A Halloween Inspired Meatloaf Recipe | Easy Italian Turkey Meatloaf with Marinara

I’ve been wanting to make an turkey meatloaf for a while now, and Halloween seemed like the perfect time to feature this recipe!

These spooky Halloween Inspired Meatloaf Brains In Blood taste like giant meatballs! All of the flavors of Italian meatballs without the guilt of the pork and ground beef, and the ground turkey makes these brains look even more realistic when cooked.

Halloween is such a fun time of year. We can give every day foods, like this Italian Turkey Meatloaf a new spin by shaping it into an oval, and calling it brains. It’s a great time to introduce kids to new foods too. The kiddos at my school are always willing to try new things when I give them whimsical names, like last week when I called our Italian Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, “meatball surprise packages”, Anthony devoured them.

These Italian Turkey Meatloaf Brains in Blood are ready from start to finish in about 30-40 minutes, making them a great weeknight meal in the week leading up to Halloween. If you’re following my October 2015 Menu, replace the ground beef and bbq sauce in your grocery list for ground turkey and use up any leftover CrockPot Spaghetti Sauce to make these spooky Brains in Blood. You could even just form the No-Fail BBQ Meatloaf Recipe that I shared on the original menu into brains for a beefy, brainy dinner!

Making this recipe is just as easy as my No Fail BBQ Meatloaf Recipe, and cooks in just the same amount of time. Cook ground turkey until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Depending on the size you make your meatloaf, the cooking time will vary.

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tbsp italian seasoning
2 tbsp spaghetti sauce
1/8 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced, optional
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup spaghetti sauce to top

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients with your hands until well combined.

Form meat into a loaf, and place on a cookie sheet line with parchment paper or foil.

Top meatloaf with 1 cup spaghetti sauce and spread over the sides with a silicone brush or the back of a spoon.

To make Meatloaf Brains, from meat into small ovals, or large “meatballs”. Using your finger, make a small indent through the middle of the meatloaf to make it look like a brain.

Top each meatloaf brain with 1-2 tbsp of spaghetti sauce and spread over the top, being sure to cover the entire brain.

Bake meatloaf in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing. To make individual meatloaves or “brains”, bake for 20 minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.