Sunday, March 6, 2011

A Formula for Turkey Meatloaf





From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Like many women my age, there was a time I could make a meatloaf with my eyes closed. While the mind controlling those closed eyes wasn't particularly keen on meatloaf, it was made repeatedly because it was a fast and inexpensive way to feed a family, a dish valued more for its frugality than its flavor. Once the children were on their own, meatloaf disappeared from the table. It was retired, not out of snobbery, but because demanding careers imposed time constraints and there were other things I preferred to make with my limited time in the kitchen. Several months ago, I unearthed Julia Child's recipe for pate. My family loved this dish, but it was retired long before the meatloaf, because I couldn't, in conscience, continue to prepare anything made with so much fat. The pate, however, set my mind in motion and I started to look for a new meatloaf recipe that would make my socks go up and down. I'm happy to report that after several false starts, the cavalry arrived in the form of a feature that appeared in Fine Cooking magazine. The article, written by Allison Ehri Kreitler, presents a master recipe or formula that allows you to build a meatloaf that is uniquely your own. You pick ingredients from various lists, mix them together in predetermined quantities and you are on your way. A detailed explanation of the process can be found here. If you're not feeling at all creative, eight recipes that follow the formula are also provided for you. This is good stuff, folks. Please take a peek. I know the process sounds an awful lot like a Chinese restaurant menu where you pick one from column A and two from column B, but it really does work. I've made two meatloaves using this approach and I am really happy with the results. Here's the recipe for my favorite to date.

Turkey Meatloaf...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Allison Ehri Kreitler

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon canola or olive oil, divided use
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 cup small-diced mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
4 ounces medium-coarse white bread, such as Italian or French, cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2-1/2 cups)
1 cup whole milk
2 lb. ground turkey (not 100% breast meat)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup sliced scallions
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fennel seeds
1/4 to -1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2-1/4 to 2-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 tespoon freshly ground black pepper
10 ounces thin sliced bacon (about 9 strips)

Directions:
1) Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10 -12-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Cook onion, mushrooms, and garlic, stirring frequently, until softened and just beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
2) Add white wine or vermouth, and simmer briskly, until almost dry, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer contents to a large bowl and let cool until warm.
3) In a shallow dish that holds it in a single layer, soak bread in milk, flipping once, until soggy but not falling apart, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on coarseness and freshness of bread. Lightly squeeze a handful of bread at a time to remove some of the milk (it should be wet but not drenched). Finely chop and add to bowl containing vegetable mixture.
4) Position a rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 degrees F.
5) Add turkey and eggs to vegetable mixture. Scatter scallions, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes over meat, and then sprinkle with Worcestershire, 2-1/4 teaspoons salt, and pepper. Use your hands to gently mix all ingredients until just combined; try not to compact mixture as you do this.
6) Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Form 1 tablespoon of meatloaf mixture into a small patty. When oil is hot, cook patty on both sides until cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and other seasonings as needed. Repeat until you're satisfied with flavor.
7) Line a 9x13-inch baking pan with parchment. Transfer meatloaf mixture to baking pan and form into a 10 x 4-inch rectangular block (it becomes loaf-shaped as it cooks). Finish meatloaf by draping it with slightly overlapping strips of bacon, tucking the ends under the loaf.
8) Bake until an instant-read thermometer registers 165degrees F in the center of meatloaf, 40 to 55 minutes. If necessary, broil meatloaf about 6 inches from the broiler element until bacon is brown and crisped, about 3 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board or serving platter with a large spatula and cut into 3/4- to 1-inch-thick slices. Yield: 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Turkey Loaf - In Flora's Kitchen
Cajun Pepper Loaf - Drick's Rambling Cafe
Quick and Easy Meatloaf - Southern Bite
Meatloaf Cupcakes Recipe - Sticky, Gooey, Creamy Chewy
Porchetta-Style Pork Meatloaf - My Gourmet Connection
Chicken Meatloaf - Healthy and Gourmet
Italian Crock-Pot Meatloaf - Food and Whine
Meatloaf - Living the Gourmet
Mexican Meatloaf - Quick and Dirty in the Kitchen
Basic Meatloaf - Deep South Dish
Moroccan Meatloaf - Simply Recipes
Lamb Meatloaf - Anne's Food
Chipotle Meatloaf - Culinary in the Country
Seared Tuscan Meatloaf - Food and Wine
Veal Meatloaf with Shiitake Mushroom Gravy - The Recipe Girl

69 comments :

Faith said...

Oh I read that article!!! I was intrigued by some of the more "exotic ingrediants" in there!I will have to try it now! Hope you are having an excellent weekend!

Anonymous said...

Looks yummy! The bacon outer layer is just awesome.

Shanae Branham said...

Great idea! I had never thought of doing a turkey meatloaf. This looks delicious. My weekend was quiet and nice. Thanks for asking.

Miri Leigh said...

This meatloaf looks simply mouth-watering. Can't wait to try out the recipe- thanks for sharing!

Alessandra said...

That link with all the different 'create your own' is fun, thank you for sharing.

Being a Veggie my meatloaf base is stale bread, but the principle is the same :-)

Happy Sunday

Alessandra

Diane said...

I love meat loaf and this sounds like a great recipe to me with the added wine :) Diane

Yasmin said...

.......

This is a jaw dropping recipe!

I will definately come to visit again for more, please save me a slice!

Cheers,
Yasmin

My Little Space said...

Wow, the meat loaf looks terrific! I think the meat taste as yummy as those beef or lamb. Truely mouthwatering pic! Thanks for sharing. Happy weekend, Mary!
Blessings, Kristy

Angie's Recipes said...

I will have to give this one a try as my husband loves meatloaf. Thanks, Mary, for sharing another great recipe.
Angie

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

Fine Cooking has a lot of good recipes where you pick from column one and so on. I use one on frittatas all of the time.

Your title - a formula for turkey meatloaf sound intriguing. I've had some success with ground turkey in chili, but I've been afraid up until now to use it in a meatloaf, fearing dryness. Thank you Mary for turning meatloaf into a fun event in the kitchen.
Sam

Ana Rita Marreiros said...

What a great meatloaf!!!!
Your posts are always wonderfull....

Kisses and a have a nice weekend,

Rita

From the Kitchen said...

I have a file titled "Makes Mary's Socks Go Up and Down" and I'm adding this one. The bacon wrap alone makes my socks a good imitation of yours!!

Best,
Bonnie

Umm Mymoonah said...

Never seen such a gorgeous meat loaf, looks very yummy.

kitchen flavours said...

Looks really delicious! Would REALLY love to have a slice right now! Thanks for sharing.

Clint said...

This looks sensational! Up until I met Cindy, I was not a meatloaf fan. It never seemed to have much taste. Well, she changed that---I now love meatloaf and I love the sandwiches I can make the next day from the leftovers.

Your recipe looks very special indeed. Thank you!

Jocie's Mom said...

I've never had meatloaf. My mom wasn't much a cook when I was growing up and to be honest, I was always a little turned off by the idea of cooking it myself. This, however, looks incredible! I especially love the bacon!

Thanks so much for sharing!

Eliana said...

Thanks for the formula Mary! This looks mouthwatering delicious.

Jeannie said...

That is the most beautiful meatloaf I've ever seen! I love the bacon wrapped around it! Must be so delicious!

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed reading this post and how your formula meatloaf came to be.. I think this is one of the things that saddens me about being in Tokyo..Turkey is a bit hard to come by.

Kim said...

This is a great meatloaf, with lots of flavors. I like it! Have a good day!

Tanna said...

Mary, I have to admit I am not a huge meatloaf fan. But, since this makes your socks go up and down I am adding it to my list to give a try! LOL! Love your writing, friend! Blessings ~ Tanna

Unknown said...

Oh Mary, the meatloaf is a beauty! I love turkey meatloaf. Somehow I feel less guilty eating them :) I keep telling myself that.
Enjoy your Sunday. Michael

June said...

This looks great. I find it particularly difficult to make anything from ground turkey that has flavor. I'll be trying this one for sure. Love the link! Thanks Mary.

Soumya Vineeth said...

This looks wonderful! lovely!

Rita said...

What a great post; and you are right I used to make this all the time when my kids were growing up. After they were on their own, I never made it. You just brought it up a few notches; looks prettty tasty.
rita

Big Dude said...

We love meat loaf, but need to eat less fat and this sounds delicious - going on the must try list. Looks like one of my fatties - http://bigdudesramblings.blogspot.com/2010/12/december-bbq-day-at-almost-heaven-south.html

Priyanka said...

Hi Mary, I loved your meatloaf and specially the bacon wrap made it look even more exotic...Hope you had a great weekend :)

PeggyR said...

That sounds very good.

Janice said...

looks great, I love meatloaf but like you, make it less often now there are no hungry teens around to feed. Off to look at that link.

Gloria Baker said...

mmmm! Dear Mary look absolutely delicious!nthanks by sharing! blessings dear! gloria

Brenda Pruitt said...

I'm all about eating turkey and chicken instead of beef now. So I would love to try this one!
Brenda

Elin said...

Mary,thanks for sharing such a mouth watering turkey meatloaf. I can imagine how flavorful this is ! Have a great weekend.
Regards,
Elin

Unknown said...

Mary, thank you for sharing this one! I like meatloaf for all the reasons you have mentioned (and because my dear hubby can put it in the oven and make mashed potatoes and steamed veggies on his night to cook). We will surely be trying this one.
I am your newest follower, and would love it if you checked out my blog too.
Thanks for sharing!

Betsy Brock said...

Oh this looks delicious! I'm so glad you shared this recipe...we love meatloaf! :)

pigpigscorner said...

Looks so good! I finally tried making meatloaf a few weeks ago and loved it. So simple and delicious!

Unknown said...

Oh I just love that recipe-maker you shared, I'm so excited to try it out. Thanks so much!

Dulce Caldeira said...

Hi Mary, thank you for your kind comments.
I´m glad for knowing your blog, i am enjoying a lot your recipes and fantastic photos.
I'm follower of your blog to not lose your cooks.
Thanks for sharing,what a great recipe!
Cheers!

tasteofbeirut said...

What meatloaf ! it looks superb!

Banana Wonder said...

I'm not a big meatloaf fan, but this looks irresistible!

Lori said...

I like meatloaf- its quick and easy and with some sauce its real tastey as well. I wanted to do a turkey meat loaf but was afraid it would be too dry. I have to check out yours.

I like Fine Cookings recipe builders. I did one with brownies. Its nice because you can plug in what you have in the house.

♥Sugar♥Plum♥Fairy♥ said...

Wow Mary , thats cool, am hoppn by the article , though i must say ur recipe is excellente.
Its moist and flavorful and love ur additions.
I have made meat loaf only once or twice , but the steamed variety and the chicken one , with some ground beef and sausage.

oMIGOD ,that site is pretty cool , i lovee how we drag our own items into the bowl, u have me hooked there.
Thannxx for the absolutely wonderful link Mary.
Sunshine love.

Kath said...

You've done it again, Mary! I've been quite happy with my classic old-fashioned meatloaf over the years, but your turkey meatloaf looks terrific! The bacon is the "icing on the cake", so to speak! ;)

Joanne said...

Choose your own adventure meatloaf! That sounds awesome. I love the idea of mixing and matching to get a new meatloaf experience every time.

Carol @ There's Always Thyme to Cook said...

It looks so good, I'm not the biggest fan of meatloaf, but yours looks so moist and packed with so many flavors, I'd have to try it!

Cloudia said...

A wonderful recipe for one of my fave dishes! Thanks so much for finding my blog - lovely place you have here. I've joined!




You are always welcome with Aloha to visit Honolulu:


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Cooking Creation said...

YUM! I never thought I would say the words fancy and meatloaf in the same sentence. Thank you for sharing this. I'm excited to visit the link :) Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

GLENDA CHILDERS said...

I love it, Mary, that we are all so different. Meatload (with baked potato and baked squash) is my favorite meal. And this one looks beautiful . . . I can't wait to try it.

Are your socks STILL going up and down?

Fondly,
Glenda

Priya Suresh said...

Excellent and truly delicious looks turkey meatloaf,yummy..

Barbara said...

I've never made a turkey meatloaf, Mary. This looks wonderful. I bet it makes super sandwiches the next day too!

ann@Apples and Twinkies said...

My family loves meatloaf and this is a great alternative. Hope all is well, Mary!

pam said...

I love recipes that have you pick from columns! And I would have definitely picked the column that said wrap in bacon!

Three-Cookies said...

Picture perfect, looks absolutely delicious. Interesting that it has milk and wine

Anonymous said...

I will go check out that article for sure. I love the idea of turkey for this one. And the bacon, well, speaks for itself...

Elaine said...

What an interesting concept of putting a recipe together. I make turkey meatloaf quite often - I'll have to try some of the variations.

Ginny Hartzler said...

I haven't made meatloaf in years, but it sure is a comfort food! I had about four favorite recipes for it, my favorite one put sour cream in it.

Beth said...

I don't mind meatloaf, but my family isn't big on it, so I don't often make it. If this recipe makes your socks go up and down, it must be great!

That Girl said...

Before I even opened this post, I saw the title and thought "the secret to turkey meatloaf is wrapping it in bacon so it doesn't dry out." I am so smart today.

Tv Food and Drink said...

I love any blog post that includes the phrase "make my socks go up and down"! And I love meatloaf... and pate for that matter, so thanks for the terrific post. - Gary!

teresa said...

i so love this meatloaf recipe. i've made a lot of meatloafs, but never one like this! i can't wait to try it!

Catherine said...

Dear Mary, I love meatloaf! Never seems to taste like my mama's. I do try and try again. I like meatloaf with bacon wrapped around it. I love your cooking Mary. Blessings, Catherine oxox

Claudia said...

I had to smile at the healthy turkey meatloaf and the nine pieces of bacon... but it does look luscioous and I cannot retire meatloaves from my home - the family loves them too much! Aways searching for a new one.

Maria said...

That looks absolutely perfect Mary!

The Simple Girl said...

Thank you for following me and visiting my blog, Mary! :D
Never heard of Turkey Meatloaf, and oh my, there are a lot of ingredients! But it sound pretty delicious! :D

penny aka jeroxie said...

I never had a meat loaf before.. the bacon outer layer makes it very desirable.

Alexis AKA MOM said...

Thanks so much for the info and the recipe. I love cooking with ground turkey and putting it into different recipes :).

SKIP TO MALOU said...

i agree meatloaf is a fast and economical way to feed a family... so meatloaf it is for my family tonight...
i always put bacon on the outer layer of my meatloaf but yours is neatly done... it will put my meatloaf to shame haha.
I hope you are having a wonderful Monday Mary!
xo,
Malou

Nuts about food said...

What an interesting process to "construct" a meatloaf. I am sure anybody can find something that appeals to them. I did not grow up eating meatloaf but have developed quite a liking for it.

Anonymous said...

It has been years since I last ate a meatloaf. My mother does not like them, my father adores them, so he was the one cooking the odd meatloaf, when we were kids. What he liked was the fact that you could pretty much include anything in it, and this was exactly what we did not like :)
But your recipe made me crave some, now.

Susana Gomes said...

Mary, i've already come to your One Perfect Bite other times, but never commented. Thank you for your lovely word on No Soup For You.
I'm a fan of your recipies, always irresistables! :)
:)

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