Meatloaf, Shmeatloaf, Double Beetloaf.

Quick, name that movie reference!

I hate meatloaf. I've eaten versions that I've hated more, and versions that I've hated less, but none that I really enjoy, though my mother-in-law's, wrapped in bacon, comes pretty close.

Despite my distaste for it, long before I started this blog, I tried Giada's recipe for Turkey Meatloaf with Feta and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (pg 120) for two reasons. 1) It's a departure from any other meatloaf I've had and 2) my mother-in-law had gifted me with a meatloaf pan, so I figured I should use it once. What, you may ask, is a meatloaf pan? It's a loaf pan with an insert. There are holes in the bottom of the insert so that the grease can drain out of the meat. Maybe that would be beneficial for a loaf made with fattier meats, but it turned the turkey meatloaf into a dry brick. Still, the idea of this recipe intrigued me enough that I wanted to try it again, in a normal pan.

I'm trying to use up stuff we have in the fridge before heading to NY to visit my family next week, so this recipe took care of parsley, a chunk of feta, and the rest of the slow-roasted tomatoes I made from Around My French Table earlier this week. You're supposed to add 1/4 cup of olive oil to the meat, which just so happened to be the amount of oil the tomatoes were packed in, so I used that for extra flavor. I'm guessing that adding the oil compromises any idea you may have of this being healthier than a standard meatloaf. Olive oil is probably a better type of fat than that in ground meat and bacon, but it certainly ups the calories. Oh well. It's necessary to keep the meat moist. Mix these things with breadcrumbs, eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper, combine the mixture with ground turkey, and bake.

Think we liked it?

I'm happy to say that this time around, the meatloaf was SO GOOD. It stayed moist, and the flavor from the chopped tomatoes disbursed evenly throughout the meat. The chunks of feta melted enough to infuse the meat, but stayed firm enough that there were still lovely solid cheesy bites. Charlie, who refuses to eat meat, no matter how I prepare it, ate half an adult-sized slice of this, which made me very happy.

Conclusion: Loved this. I can see myself making it pretty regularly.

Just in case you're wondering, I didn't get around to cooking the French Fridays with Dorie selection this week. I just didn't feel motivated. It was Cold Melon-Berry Soup, which I already made for Mother's Day. I planned to play with turning it into a pitcher of boozy goodness, and maybe I would have if we had some company or something, but the occasion didn't really present itself this week. Oh well.

Oh, and that movie reference is from A Christmas Story, which is one of the greatest movies of all time, Christmas-themed or otherwise.