Turkey Meatloaf

It's December (sigh). Even if it's not officially winter yet, the cold mornings make me crave comfort food, so I decided to whip up this meatloaf for dinner. I have a lot of bad memories of meatloaf from my childhood (thanks, Dad!), but have grown to really love it as an adult. In college, my friends and I used to get together for "loaf night" (complete with biscuits and mashed potatoes) when we wanted some home-cooked food. This recipe isn't too different from what we used to make. The key is pouring tomato soup over the meatloaf before baking it, which keeps it really moist and flavorful. It might look a little weird, but just go with it.

Meatloaf is one of those things that you generally throw together with a pinch of this and a handful of that. I've never measured out my meatloaf ingredients before (until today, of course), so feel free to play with the recipe. I've made this with beef many times with similarly good results. One technique I do recommend following is grating, rather than chopping, your onions. This way you get the onion-y flavor without ever biting into a big chunk.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I usually use mozzarella, but tonight's loaf had white cheddar)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbs. milk
1 Tbs. ketchup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 cup Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
1 can condensed tomato soup, mixed with 1 can water

Directions:
1.  Cut onion into 4 quarters. Grate 3 of them, and slice the remaining quarter into thin strips.

2. In a large bowl, add turkey, grated onion, garlic, cheese, egg, milk, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, basil, oregano, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add a handful of breadcrumbs and then dig in and mix it together (yes, with your hands). Add handfuls of breadcrumbs as needed until your loaf holds together but is still quite moist. You may not use the full cup of breadcrumbs. Hint: measure the breadcrumbs out into a bowl first. You don't want to be grabbing the container with meaty hands.

3. In a 13x9 inch pan, form the mixture into a loaf (it will be roughly 6 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 2 inches high). Pour the tomato soup over the top and then sprinkle your loafy creation with the sliced onions.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Let rest for about 5 minutes after removing from the oven, then slice and serve, spooning some tomato sauce over each slice.

Makes about 4 servings

Download printable recipe
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