We’re venturing into the unknown with this mystical Mini Swedish Turkey Loaves recipe. It’s a family-friendly recipe that’s Anna and Elsa approved, and is a perfect make-ahead meal for the cold weather season. The recipe was created dairy-free, but we’ve added other allergy-friendly options, like gluten-free and egg-free, to fit most dietary needs.
Mystic Mini Swedish Turkey Loaves are Easy for Freezing
This easy meatloaf-style dinner recipe was created by Melanie Marcus, MA, RD, Dole’s Nutrition and Health Communications Manager. In honor of Frozen 2, she created nutritious meals that were designed to be prepared in advance and frozen. Each make-ahead recipe includes special freezing, thawing and reheating instructions to ensure a perfect outcome every time.
This recipe is a part of Dole’s Empowering the Hero Within campaign. According to William Goldfield, Dole’s director of communication:
Our goal is to warmly embrace the universal appeal of Disney’s Frozen 2 and the film’s themes of family, fortitude, responsibility and the awesome power of nature to help create healthier household routines that can lead to long-term, positive changes in behavior. More important, we want to combine the powers of Dole and Disney’s Frozen 2 to make healthy eating fun, exciting and maybe even a bit magical.
Rumor has it that Frozen 2 isn’t set in Sweden. Speculators say that Frozen was based on Norway and Frozen 2 on Iceland. But this mini Swedish turkey loaves recipe plays on Nordic recipes in general for savory, spiced comfort food. And it’s a unique way to enjoy that season pumpkin spice blend.
This mini Swedish turkey loaves recipe was shared with us by Dole.
Special Diet Notes: Mini Swedish Turkey Loaves
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, and soy-free. Just be sure to pick the ingredients that meet your dietary needs.
For egg-free mini turkey loaves, see my Egg Substitute Guide.
- 1 large egg
- 2 pounds 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- ½ cup unsweetened plain dairy-free milk beverage
- ½ cup whole wheat or gluten-free panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
- ¼ cup plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt or dairy-free sour cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- Preheat your oven to 350°F, and line a jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg in a large bowl. Gently mix in the turkey, onion, milk beverage, breadcrumbs, pumpkin pie spice, and ½ teaspoon salt.
- Form the turkey mixture into 8 (4 x 2½-inch) loaves and place them on your prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the mini turkey loaves reaches 165°F.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the stock and flour. Add the slurry to your skillet and cook 3 minutes or until thickened, whisking occasionally. Whisk in the yogurt or sour cream alternative, pepper, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt.
- Serve the loaves topped with the gravy sprinkled with parsley.
More Dairy-Free, Family-Friendly Ground Turkey Recipes
Healthy Turkey Pasta Skillet
Homemade Turkey Breakfast Sausage Patties
Thai Peanut Turkey Burger Sliders
4 Comments
I tried cooking this tonight for dinner. I used poultry seasoning instead of the pumpkin spice. I have to say that my family and I werent all that fond of it personally. *IF* I make it again, Im going to try sauteeing the onions first, maybe add some cheese.
I wouldn’t hesitate to add more salt to the meat if you found the flavor lacking in any way – the idea that you might want to add cheese leads me to believe it needs more salt for your family’s taste!
Do you have an alternative suggestion for pumpkin spice in this recipe?
I would use a generous pinch of nutmeg. If you wanted, you could add a pinch of cloves too. I think that would still be very delicious.