meat shoes

I have tasted and prepared many variations of meatloaf in my life. Ground beef, turkey, beef/lamb/pork (the best). Through trial and error, I've come up with my own recipe. I'm all about bringing back retro dishes right now - pork chops, meatloaf, jello salad (no, NO). Why do they get such a bad rep? The word "meatloaf" is certainly disturbing. Why loaf? That's such a chunky word. It reminds me of a shoe. Who wants to eat a meat shoe? Is the meat shoe made of pancetta? Cause then I'll eat it.

I'm off topic here. My meatloaf recipe, yes. I made a turkey version the other night (along with my spaghetti squash) and tried to snap a few pics. I WILL get better at taking pictures while I cook, people. People. You 11 people.

Turkey Meatloaf

1 package or 1 lb. ground turkey
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 sprigs of thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
red pepper flakes
1 tbs tomato paste
Dash Worcestershire (if you know how to spell that, you get a cookie)
1 egg
1/2 cup panko (or more)
1/2 cup Romano
Ketchup

Heat olive oil in pan over medium high heat. Saute onion and pepper until soft. (I didn't have red pepper this time so I used green. I've also thrown other veggies in, zucchini, mushrooms, yellow squash, etc.) Add garlic and saute one more minute. Season with salt and pepper, thyme and red pepper flakes (to taste, I like a little spice).


Turn heat down to low and add tomato paste and Worcestershire, stir until well combined. Remove from heat.

In medium bowl, combine ground turkey, egg and panko. Add vegetables and Romano cheese. I use my hands for this because I like to touch meat (what'd I say?). If meatloaf feels too wet, add more panko. If it feels too dry, add a small amount of milk (not the skim stuff).


Spray a baking sheet or pan. Form meat info loaves, again with hands, and place on sheet. I've used bread pans in the past, but I've found it doesn't create a crispy outer layer as well as a sheet pan, and I like that crispy outer layer. Spread ketchup over loaves. (I've also used a combination of ketchup, balsamic and mustard before... try.)


Bake at 350 for an hour or until it looks done. What? Writing recipes is hard stuff.


I normally serve with more ketchup because I'm ghetto like that. Enjoy!