I ♥ Ina

My love for all things Ina Garten continues...

Conor had a craving for some meatloaf, and since we mostly don't eat red meat any more, I found this recipe for turkey meatloaf. (I say "mostly" because while Conor never eats red meat, I occasionally find a pulled pork sandwich or steak on a menu that I just can't resist.) This is not your grandmother's meatloaf, but it is ultimately very easy to make and the reviews? Two very enthusiastic thumbs up! Both the boys were members of the clean plate club while Lillie remains as picky as ever. Sigh. I also made these smashed potatoes, and um, I will be making them again. Soon. Yum. Yum. Yum.

A few weeks ago some new neighbors moved in next door so I tried out these outrageous brownies to give as a welcome gift. While they were good, the process of making them was a bit involved and it makes a lot! The recipes also calls for walnuts, so I set aside some batter to make a sans nuts portion for Lillie. I recommend making these when you're craving chocolate...and lots of it!

Update: I realized that I forgot to post the recipe for the meatloaf! The original recipe called for five pounds of turkey (?!!?) and I'm not sure we could have gotten through all that. So I used a three pound "roll" because it was the biggest roll I could find and because it's 85/15, which I think it cooks up much better. I modified a few of the other ingredients accordingly. We had enough for seconds, enough to give to our favorite babysitter, and enough for two days of leftovers. Oh, and the leftovers just might be better than the first night!

Recipe: Adapted from Barefoot Contessa
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions (1 large onion)
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 3 pounds ground turkey breast
• 1 cup plain dry bread crumbs (I used Panko crumbs and it seemed to work well)
• 3 extra-large eggs, beaten

For the topping:

• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 cup catsup
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

• In a medium saute pan, over medium-low heat, cook the onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme until translucent, but not browned, approximately 15 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste and mix well. Allow to cool to room temperature.
• Combine the ground turkey, bread crumbs, eggs, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular loaf on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the topping evenly on top. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F. and the meatloaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot, at room temperature, or cold in a sandwich.