Turkey Meatloaf

When I think of meatloaf, I think of comfort food.  I also think of sitting in front of the tv with a frozen dinner.  Anyways, meatloaf is a classic dish that people either love or hate.  I must say, I was never a fan of meatloaf until I tried Ina Garten’s recipe.  It is the best meatloaf I ever tasted and the only meatloaf I will eat.  Even my mom love this.  My mom told me that my grandmother made the best meatloaf she ever tasted until she tried Ina’s.  I think Ina’s meatloaf beat my grandmothers.

What I love about this recipe is that it uses ground turkey instead of ground beef.  Even though it uses ground turkey, it’s very flavorful and moist. Trust me you’ll be running back for seconds. I love serving this meatloaf with mashed potatoes or steamed veggies.  Also, if I have leftovers for the next day, I love making a sandwich.  This recipe serves a lot, so I would recommend reducing the amount unless you are serving a lot of people.  If you are looking for ground turkey recipe, this is the one to try.

Turkey Meatloaf

From Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa)

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 large onions)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup chicken stock

1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste

5 pounds ground turkey breast

1 1/2 cups plain dry bread crumbs

3 extra-large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup ketchup

Preheat the oven at 325 degrees F.

Heat olive oil on medium heat.  Add the chopped onions, salt, dried thyme, and cook until the onions soften a bit.  Combine Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste to the cooked onions.  Cook for another minute or two and then let the mixture cool off before adding to the ground turkey.

In a large bowl add ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and the cooled onion mixture.  Mix well until all the ingredients are comined.  Shape the ground turkey into a rectangular loaf and  place onto a ungreased pan.  Spread the ketchup evenly on top of the loaf and bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the meatloaf is fully cooked through.