December 30, 2009
Turkey Loaf
This meatloaf is moist, tender, tasty, easy to make and quite healthy. A blend of meats and vegetables the family will request.
How can you go wrong with a meatloaf?
How about too dry, too mushy, or just plain funny tasting? If “what’s in this stuff?” is what you’re thinking on your first bite, then it’s probably not very good. This recipe came from a meatball recipe that I created for my kids. They just couldn’t get enough. I thought, hmmm… how good would this be as a loaf? You can hide vegetable that you’re kids won’t eat.
To make life easy on yourself, instead of finely chopping all the vegetables by hand, use a food processor. Avoid pureeing anything by emptying each vegetable into a bowl before chopping the next. I call it I-didn’t-get-any-Turkeyloaf because my husband always inhales the first serving and then shows me the plate and says this.
What you’ll need
| 1.5 lbs | ground | Turkey Meat |
| 1/3 lb | uncured ground | Pork Meat |
| 1 med | finely chopped | Zucchini |
| 1 small | finely chopped | Yellow Onion |
| 1 large C | finely chopped | Carrot |
| 1/2 C | grated | Parmesan Cheese |
| 1 C | course dry | Bread Crumbs |
| 2 | whole | Eggs |
| 1/4 C | any | Milk |
| 1/2 tsp | Salt | |
| 1/2 tsp | freshly ground | Pepper |
| 3 cloves | minced | Garlic |
How to make it
Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare all the vegetables and place in a large mixing bowl. In a medium skillet sauté zucchini, onion and carrot with 1 tsp of vegetable oil for 10 minutes or when onions begin to become translucent. Remove the skillet from the burner so vegetables will cool. Put all the remaining ingredients in a large bowl then mix thoroughly by hand. Add the cooled vegetables and incorporate them into the mix. Pack the meat mixture lightly into an ungreased loaf pan. Pat the edges so that the center is a bit higher than the sides. This will allow the juices to flow away from the top and create a nice brown crust. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top is brown and the sides are bubbling.
Pour ketchup evenly over the top of the loaf and place back under a broiler for just a few minutes until ketchup is hot and bubbly.
Remove from oven and let sit in pan for at least 15 minutes. Nothing goes with meatloaf like mashed potatoes. Pour some hot sweet and sour sauce* over the top and remind your family to chew.
Yields 4 generous servings.
*For a homemade old world ketchup, simmer for at least 45 minutes in a medium sauce pan: 1 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp cider vinegar, 2 T medium brown sugar, 1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice. My Spanish grandma made this for my German grandpa. It lasts a long time in the refrigerator.
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