Turkey Meatloaf

I did not grow up eating loaves of meat. In fact, when I first heard of meatloaf I think I gagged a little bit. A loaf of meat - no thanks. My previous vegetarian self stuck up her nose to that. But one day, while watching our usual food network, I saw Bobby Flay make an amazing meatloaf and it was all downhill from there.
When I first saw him make it he used two different kinds of meat (beef and pork) and used about half as much of vegetables as I do. I explain that my "meat"loaf is more vegetable (seriously, it's half vegetable, half turkey.) I started out making it as is, and then tweaked it from there. Now, it seems Bobby has been looking over my shoulder because he also tweaked his to make it leaner with turkey, too. I follow his seasoning and glaze but other than that I go off on my own. Here's his recipe.
Give it a try and see if you're a meatloaf lover now too!

What You'll Need:
- 1 red or yellow bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 zucchini and/or yellow squash
- 4-5 garlic cloves
- 1 carrot
- 8 oz mushrooms, coursley chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 package ground turkey
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
- Sprinkle of dried thyme and dried parsley (or fresh if you've got it)
- 1/2t red pepper flakes
- 3/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup plus 2T balsamic vinegar

What To Do: 

1. Preheat oven to 425. Take the first 5 vegetables and chop them up in the food processor.

Look at all those veggies!

2. Then chop the mushrooms. (I like the texture of mushrooms. I used to process them with the other veggies but they got lost in the mix!) Add all vegetables to a heated non-stick pan with about 2T EVOO. Saute until fragrant and softened - about 5-10 minutes. 

3. Add vegetables to a mixing bowl to let cool (If you have the foresight, then do this ahead of time so you have time to let them cool. I've burnt many a fingers trying to do this too fast.) 

4. Once cooled, add turkey, egg, herbs, cheese, 1/4t red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup ketchup and 2T balsamic vinegar. Mix until combined.

5. Here's another difference: Cover a pan with parchment paper and add the turkey mixture. Form into a loaf shape, about 1-1.5inch thick. (I like this method because it's not sitting in its fat like it will in a loaf pan. Though, it will work just fine in a loaf pan too.) 

6. In a small bowl mix the glaze: 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup balsamic, 1/4t red pepper flakes. Brush over top the loaf.

You like those photog skills!?

 7. Bake for an hour or until set. The house will smell AMAZING. Don't drool too much. Let the loaf sit for a few minutes and then dig in. I love to serve this with Twice Baked Potatoes. There's not really a need for any vegetables because you have so many in the meatloaf! 

Do you see how crusty that glaze gets? It's delicious and awesome. There's hardly any leftovers when I make this but when there is, Den always makes a meatloaf sandwich this next day. Enjoy!!