Turkey Meatloaf

I can't claim to feel much nostalgia for meatloaf. We never ate it in my family when I was growing up. In fact, I tried it for the first time in high school, and that was in a restaurant when a friend ordered it and let me taste it. So I won't lie to you and say it reminds me of home, or brings a flood of fuzzy memories.

I will say, however, that I find it intriguing. And admittedly, the typical meatloaf is not that appetizing to me - ground beef and bread mixed up and formed into a loaf-like shape? No thanks. But if you take Ellie Krieger's recipe, which is made with ground turkey, whole grains, red bell pepper and other delicious flavorings, well now you have my attention.

I tweaked the recipe a little bit and what resulted was a tasty bit of home. Whose home, I'm not sure. But it just tasted comforting and delicious, without being too gut-busting and heavy. We ate ours with some roasted broccoli (roasted with smashed garlic cloves, EVOO, and a bit of salt - delicious!) and enjoyed it immensely. The turkey is moist and flavorful, and the tomato sauce and shallot on top are the show-stealers.

Turkey Meatloaf
adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave
serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons quick cooking oats
1/4 cup skim milk
1 shallot (1/2 thinly sliced, 1/2 finely chopped)
1 1/4 pounds extra lean ground turkey
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
pinch salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup canned all natural tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In a small bowl, combine oats and milk and set aside to let soak while you chop and prepare the other ingredients, at least 3 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, combine turkey, oatmeal mixture, chopped half of the shallot, bell pepper, egg, Worcestershire, ketchup, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix just until well combined - you'll probably need to use your hands.

4. Transfer the mixture to a pyrex (or similar) baking dish and shape into a loaf shape, about 2 inches high. Pour tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with sliced shallot.

5. Bake until cooked through, about an hour. An instant read thermometer inserted into the middle should read 160. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Whether this is something that reminds you of home or not, enjoy!