Hello, internet! Guess who’s back. The Bloggess is here again and today we are going to talk about a dish that is as comforting as an old bathrobe and as mysterious as mimes. Indeed, we are taking the plunge into meatloaf territory, namely Turkey, a Meatloaf country.

But wait a second, before you wrinkle your nose and scroll past dismissing it as tasteless and dry… Let me explain myself first.

Turkey meatloaf gets such a bad rap but with some tender loving care (TLC not the 90s TLC band) can be simply divine. Trust me you’ll not believe it’s your grandma’s mystery loaf of mystery meat for sure. It is just a masterpiece waiting to be consumed.

So put on your aprons (or use kitchen towels since who has time for elaborate aprons?) turn up the volume on your favorite 80s power ballads (because meatloaf deserves its own soundtrack), and let’s get ready to loaf.

Ingredients:

The Turkey Tango:

• 1 pound ground turkey (as opposed to beef, because turkey is leaner, healthier and more fun)
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (because panko crumbs are the Beyoncé of crumbs and nothing like squishy breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (because cheese makes everything better in this world; even meatloaf)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion (onions being those supporting actors who steal the show)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (because vampires exist and they don’t like garlic, particularly in their meat loaves)
• 1 large egg, beaten (eggs play the role of glue here holding all ingredients together)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley or cilantro or both(because no one ever died from eating green stuff )
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt and pepper to taste that will make you want to become a participant in Flavortown

The Glaze Galaxy:

• 1/2 cup ketchup (because ketchup is the only thing to glaze meatloaf with, isn’t it?)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar (because a little sweetness never hurt anyone’s loaf)
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard (because fancy, but not too fancy)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (because it is umami bomb. Umami rules)

The Great Meatloaf Caper: A Step-by-Step Escapade (with many, many tangents)

1. The Pre-Loaf Prep: Preheat your oven to 375°F(because we have all forgotten Celsius by now). Now assemble your ingredients and admire them for a second. This is like the casting call for a culinary masterpiece. In a large bowl combine ground turkey, panko breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, chopped onion, minced garlic cloves, beaten egg, chopped fresh parsley, and/or cilantro/dried oregano. Don’t forget to season generously with salt and pepper as we don’t want this bland meatloaf which would be considered a crime against humanity. Just get your hands dirty and mix everything really well. Be a sculptor shaping this huge lump of meat into some future great piece of art.
2. Shaping Up: Lightly grease a loaf pan(because nobody likes a stuck meatloaf). Now comes the fun part: shaping your meatloaf! Gently form the meat mixture into a loaf shape in the prepared pan; Rustic is good here – just think imperfect loaves are always charming( perfection is boring anyway!).
3. The Revolution of Glazes: Take a small bowl and whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. This is where the magic happens; this divine blend will make your ordinary meatloaf turn into some glazed haven. Apply this yumminess all over the top of your loafed meat.
4. The Big Final Competition: Take out the glazed meatloaf from the preheated oven and put it in for about an hour or until its inner temperature hits 165°F (‘cause science!). Feel free to tidy up and put on some tunes while Mr. Meatloaf enjoys himself in an oven. You deserve it.
5. The Rest Is History: After cooking through, remove it from the oven and allow it to rest for 10 minutes before slicing so as to give time for juiced to be reabsorbed into every part of the meatloaf avoiding you a dry pitiful loaf (which by the way we must all work hard not to let happen).

The Grand Finale: A Symphony of Flavor

Now comes that moment that everyone has been waiting for – cutting and serving up your masterpiece meatloaf. Let them cool just briefly so those juices can stop yawning because they have now laid back on their chairs too much for comfort. Then cut and take heart, folks…this is it!

Cut them fat juicy slices of these burgers right away! The smell by itself would make taste buds break dance in your mouth Now let’s talk about what you serve besides them – you can’t miss with mashed potatoes but why not try a roasted root vegetable medley or maybe simple green salad if you are feeling adventurous? And don’t forget about gravy either! Homemade is better but if you don’t have enough time you may also use store-bought ones.

As you take that first bite, let the flavors explode in your mouth. It’s not only the taste of the savory turkey or the sweet tangy glaze, it’s even more than that. It’s a meal made of turkey meatloaf that will make you beg for forgiveness.

Also, meatloaf is like a warm embrace on a cold day – it’s simply comfort food at its best. So get together with those that you love most and share the laughter enjoying this mastery work of cooking where life is too short to eat dull meals.

That’s all folks! The Bloggess’ Best Homemade Turkey Meatloaf. It may not win any culinary awards (although it really should) but it will definitely win your heart over (and your stomach). And now go forth and meatloaf!

P.S. If you put pineapple in your meatloaf I am judging you (but seriously I want to know).