Tomato Basil Turkey Meatloaf

I love this meatloaf.  And it has to be turkey.  If you make this with beef or pork, it just won’t taste the same, so there.  I actually love all meatloaf, but this is my favorite so far.  Although, I must admit, Alyssa JoJo’s meatloaf cupcakes are looking mighty fantastico, and I will be trying them in the very near future.  I mean, really?!?  Bacon wrapped, cheese stuffed, mashed potato topped, and BBQ sauce drizzled? 

Anyway, my tomato basil turkey meatloaf is relatively easy, healthy, and very tasty.  The ketchup/dressing combo is homage to the SOB who loves the traditional ketchup-topped meatloaf, but I wanted to spice the flavors up to match the Italian theme.  It is my favorite flavor combination by far (but you can throw tomato and basil in pretty much anything and I will chow it down).  I always make a big batch of it and freeze it (see below).  I hope you try this and enjoy it!  As always, comments are appreciated!

2 pounds ground turkey

2 cups breadcrumbs

2 eggs

Sundried tomato/basil pesto * see note

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped small

Ketchup

Sundried tomato vinaigrette or Italian style salad dressing of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, combine ground turkey, eggs, tomato/basil pesto, garlic, and onion.  Add 1-1/2 cups of bread crumbs.  Using your hands, mix thoroughly.  If mixture feels too wet, add the rest of the bread crumbs.  If it feels okay, leave the remainder of the bread crumbs out.  You don’t want to add too much in the breadcrumb department.  If the mixture is too dry feeling before baking, it will be far too dry after baking, and that, my freaks, is why so many generations before us will swear upon somebody’s grave that they despise meatloaf; a horrid 25% meat:75% cornflake/saltine cracker/breadcrumb ratio (to be economical).  I say, start out by adding 1-1/2 cups, and if it feels gross icky sticky, add the other ½ cup, but no more than that.  If you think you need to add the other ½ cup, here is what you do…you yell, “Hey, *insert name here*,  get your ass out here in the kitchen and pour this ½ cup of breadcrumbs into my bowl!”  Then they do that, and you can continue mixing away.  It is really gross touching stuff with meaty hands, so just don’t do it.  Ask for some help.

Okay, now listen carefully to this next part…there is no shame in wearing rubber gloves when mixing any sort of ground beef mixture, or working with raw meat in general.  Mama Lanette does it all the time.  In fact, I always buy myself a cheap box of rubber gloves when I visit the local Menard’s or Home Depot and keep them handy for times when I have to make burger patties, meatloaf or meatballs, separate family packs of chicken breasts for freezing, etc.  *gag*.  They also come in very handy when you are dealing with hot peppers.  In the words of Taylor Swift, “never ever ever” cut jalapenos, or any hot peppers of like, and then touch your face, eyes, lips, open sores, etc.   Doing so will result in hours of excruciating pain and a delay in dinner that will really tick off the family.  The simple wearing of rubber gloves can prevent many a dinner time fiasco.  Anyhoo, rubber gloves are a friend in the kitchen, yo.  They also help in the sanitary department if you are a lover of the fake nail…but I digress.

Add mixture into a bread pan and smooth down the top.  Place into preheated oven and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Remove meatloaf  from  the oven and drizzle top with ketchup and dressing.  Blend the  two sauces together lightly with a knife or back of spoon.  Bake for another ½ hour until somewhat caramelized looking.  Remove from oven and let sit 10-15 minutes.

 Here is my favorite part!  Having only two people in my household, one of whom does not care to eat leftovers, and the other of whom has an eating disorder, I LOVE making things that I can wrap up and freeze for a future meal.  Meatloaf is a remarkable candidate for this.  Once the meatloaf has set, I slice it into six thick pieces.  Two are served for dinner immediately with a nice veggie side.  The other four are separated into two foil packages.  These are then marked with a Sharpie, cooled, and stored in the freezer for future dinners.  See how that works?!?!?  One evening of cooking = THREE meals!  That means there are two free evenings when Mama Lanette can come home and spend some time with her sexy Mr. Riesling rather than slaving away in the kitchen making dinner.  I love to cook, but some nights, everybody needs a night off. 

*note – I make my own tomato basil pesto.  There, I’ve said it, and I feel good about it, gosh darnit!  I have posted in the past how easy it is to dry your own tomatoes, and I do this every year and swear by it.  I freeze them in Ziploc bags, and I also make dried tomato/basil pesto and freeze it in ice cube trays to use throughout the year in an assortment of things from dips to meatloaf.  I am well aware, however, that this may not be a common household item, so I am going to give a few options for substitutions:

Buy some sundried tomato/basil tapenade and use 2-3 tablespoons.  Taste first to determine saltiness, as olives may be used in the mixture.

Use tomato paste and basil.  I would say about 3 tablespoons tomato paste and 1 tablespoon dried basil (2 tablespoons if fresh)

 

Buy some sundried tomatoes and fresh basil.  Place in a food processer and drizzle with olive oil.  Pulse until a chunky paste.  Add approximately two ice cube sized dollops.  Freeze remainder and use at a later time.

Enjoy your meatloaf,  little freaks!  <3  Mama Lanette