I went off on a little tangent since the last meat discussion but I’m back today with an American comfort food – meatloaf. It’s really one of the most basic and simple meals. You don’t need a lot of ingredients (leave out or substitute what you don’t have) and you mush everything up in one bowl. All you need is time to wait for the oven. Before you take it out of the oven, start the vegetable. Let the meatloaf sit for a few minutes on the counter so it holds in the juices while you finish the vegetable.
I combine two different meats when making a meatloaf which is fairly common but I remember my mom making it with just one. Besides making the meatloaf leaner, turkey gives it a denser, heartier texture. In addition to meat, you can also use up a lot of vegetables. If they’re the coarser vegetables, like root vegetables (carrots), peppers, etc., then you’ll want to sauté them first to make them tender. If I’m using onions, mushrooms, and/or bell pepper, I just dice them finely so I don’t have to take up more time and dirty another pan.
Turkey and Grass-fed Beef Meatloaf
1 lb ground beef
1 lb ground turkey
1 finely chopped onion (~1 cup)
3-4 oz chopped mushrooms (~1 cup)
3/4 C bread crumbs or finely crushed crackers
1-2 eggs, beaten
1 crushed clove garlic
1 t brown mustard
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t season salt
1/4 t ground black pepper
Heat oven to 350°. Combine all of the ingredients very well.
Shape into a sprayed loaf pan and bake 75 minutes – drizzle with organic ketchup or barbecue sauce if desired. Let sit a few minutes before serving.
