After asking a few times, I’ve learned
Keith never wants any kind of a party for his birthday, but he does want me to
cook mashed potatoes and meatloaf for dinner. One of the first meals I cooked for him when we had
first started dating was meatloaf and mashed potatoes; I had no idea this would become one of his favorite meals. And even more it was a risk at the time given not
everyone shares a love for it, and I’d say it was a risk that has paid off
given we’re now married.
Thankfully before cutting the cable cord, I was able to
watch an episode of Barefoot Contessa featuring turkey meatloaf. This is my take on Ina's turkey meatloaf. In case you want her version, you can find the recipe here.
I will warn you this recipe makes a small loaf that will
feed about four people, so if you want leftovers for sandwiches you need to
plan accordingly.
Turkey Meatloaf
1 lb lean ground turkey (I don’t use all breast meat for
fear it would be too dry.)
1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 clove garlic minced
1 T. tomato paste
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 egg beaten
1/4 c. old fashioned oats
3 T. milk
Ketchup
Olive oil
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet
with cooking spray.
2. Combine the oats and milk in a small bowl and set aside.
You may need more or less milk. Use enough milk to cover the oats, but not so
much that they’re sitting in a pool of the milk.
3. Add a good swirl of olive oil to a sauté pan. Once that’s
hot, add the chopped onion. Cook until translucent, before adding the garlic.
Continue cooking for an additional minute or until you smell the garlic.
Remove from heat and stir in the tomato paste and Worcestershire. Let cool.
4. In the meantime, in a large bowl mix the turkey with the
egg, oats mixture, and parsley with your hands. Add in the onion mixture and continue
to mix.
5. Once everything is well combined, place on the baking
sheet and shape into a loaf. Top your loaf with Ketchup. I like a lot to
develop a nice sweet crust, but use as little or as much to your taste.
6. Bake for 30 minutes or until done. Once you pull it from
the oven, allow it to cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
7. Enjoy!
