Meatloaf - The Ultimate Comfort Food

Ahh meatloaf...the ultimate comfort food. Warm and rich, it fills an empty tummy on a cold night.

Sure it tastes delicious when the thermometer reads 20 degrees, but the question is, can meatloaf still taste good and be a bit healthier for you? I set out on a quest to find out. 

I began by preparing a meatloaf using half ground turkey and half ground beef.

In my opinion, ground turkey has little flavor. This can be overcome with a blast of flavor from things such as onion, barbeque sauce, and horseradish. I added the simple flavor blasters to my meatloaf and the result was delicious!

Two big advantages to making individual meatloaves is that if you make six loaves and feed two people (one loaf each), you have two more meals for the future. Meatloaf freezes beautifully. In addition, the individual loaves cook faster than one big loaf which is an added benefit on weekday nights.

Good For Ya Individual Meat Loaf

serves 6

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 green pepper, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 lb. ground chuck

1 lb. ground turkey

3 T barbeque sauce or ketchup

1 tsp. dijon mustard

1 tsp. prepared horseradish

1 tsp. worcestershire sauce

2 T grated parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

5 slices firm white bread, with crusts, processed in food processor into fresh bread crumbs

freshly ground pepper, fresh or dried sage, fresh or dried thyme - to taste

In small saute pan, cook green pepper and onion in olive oil until soft. Remove from heat and let cool. In large mixing bowl, mix remaining ingredients with peppers and onions using clean hands until well mixed. 

On rimmed baking sheet, form mixture into six individual loaves. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. Let rest five minutes before serving.