Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey meatloaf was one of my favorite meals as a kid. The best part of having meatloaf at our house was that my mom used the leftovers to make meatloaf sandwiches, with ketchup, mayo, and a slice of American cheddar cheese. I have such clear memories of sitting on the beach and eating a meatloaf sandwich with my mom and little brother after our swimming lessons. I can still taste that sandwich today. Although my swimming lesson days are over, I still love meatloaf. It's one of those comfort foods for me. Using ground turkey is a very healthy alternative for ground beef. This recipe from the Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, is unique because you saute onions with Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. You also cover the top with ketchup before baking it and I'm a huge ketchup girl when it comes to meatloaf, so this recipe is perfect for me. The original recipe calls for 5 pounds of turkey but I only wanted to use 1 pound so I adapted the recipe. 

Turkey Meatloaf

modified from Ina Garten's Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 pound ground turkey
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
Ketchup

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium saute pan over medium heat cook onions, olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook until the onions are translucent, but not browned, about 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, egg, and onion mixture in a large bowl. Mix well and shape into a rectangular shape on an ungreased sheet pan. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.

 **A pan of hot water under the meatloaf will keep the top from cracking. I tried this and it really works!**