Southwest Turkey Meatloaf

this post is part of my 31 Day series. here is the beginning

 my feeble attempt at making meatloaf look sexy

Nothing defines comfort food for me quite like a good loaf of meat. Ew. I shouldn't have called it that. Sorry. But seriously, meatloaf with a side of potatoes and veggies. I mean, comforting. One night, I was planning to make a good ol' classic meatloaf when I realized I didn't have a few of the ingredients that the recipe called for. This was back before I planned my meals ahead of time. Like, last week. So, I had to get creative. The result? Delicious! By using some pico de gallo, barbecue sauce, and some fancy spices, I turned this meaty meal into a Southwest fiesta. Despite what these photos look like, it was really, very good. Wanna try some?

Southwest Turkey Meatloaf

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup barbecue sauce

2/3 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup pico de gallo (drain the liquid as best you can)

A hearty dash of cayenne pepper (depending on your spicy hot preference)

1 tbs ground cumin

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey 

In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, bbq sauce, bread crumbs, pico de gallo, and spices. Add ground turkey and mix until all ingredients are blended well.

TIP: If you have a weird aversion to raw meat like I do, 

try putting all these ingredients into a gallon sized 

ziploc bag. Then, you can gently mash it all up 

without having to touch it! Ha!

I like to bake my meatloaf on a broiler pan. This helps drain the fat! Mold into a loaf-like shape, about 2 inches thick. If you don't have a broiler pan, you can bake this in a 8x4x2in loaf pan. Just spoon the fat off the top before serving. Since we used ground turkey, there will be a minimal amount of fat compared to the other meat choices. Bake at 350* for 60-75 minutes. 

Serve hot with a little extra barbecue sauce, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and carrots. Yum! Have leftovers? Put them in the fridge and come back for dinner tomorrow. I'll show you how to put them to good use!

What's your favorite comfort food for this season?

xoxo

Joy