Veggie-Filled Turkey Meatloaf

There aren’t words to adequately describe how wonderful QT with my kitchen felt tonight. I felt home, in my home, for the first time in weeks. And as I chopped, mushed, and stirred, I couldn’t help but get that “heck yeah, I’m back!” feeling. Soooo… heck yeah, I’m back!

I went with turkey meatloaf because I already had visions of what to make with leftovers dancing like sugar plums in my head. And turkey meatloaf sans bread crumbs because I don’t understand why bread crumbs in meat things still happen. Shredded veggies lock in moisture and sneak in a little nutrients. Bread crumbs just make you full.

FoodFash Turkey Meatloaf (yields 6 to 8 servings)

1 lb ground turkey breast
1/2 lb ground turkey thigh
1 zucchini, shredded
1 carrot, shredded
1/2 white onion, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey breast and ground turkey thigh together with your hands. Add all of the veggies and spices to the meat and mix with your hands until all of the veggies are evenly distributed. Add eggs, ketchup, and worcestershire sauce and mix again. Pour mixture into an 8x4x2 pan and gently pat down with a fork. In a small bowl, mix ketchup and brown sugar together. Spread ketchup evenly over meat. Bake for one hour or until meat thermometer reads 190 degrees. Spoon off any excess fat, slice, and serve.

This meatloaf is ultra comfort food without the heaviness that normally accompanies comfort food. And since meatloaf keeps well in the fridge for a couple days, you can surely keep on keepin’ on with the comforty goodness until the pan is empty.