Turkey Meatloaf

There's something so quintessentially American about meatloaf. It's inexpensive, filling, and relatively simple to make. I make mine with ground turkey and tomato paste rather than ketchup and beef. Having grown up in a less than traditional household, my first taste of meatloaf was actually at my Mother-in-Law's house. It's a delicious and comforting dish that makes for great leftovers and can feed a group.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs (you can buy them pre-made but they're easy enough to make in a food processor using stale bread)
1 extra large egg
5-6 celery stalks
3-4 carrots (rinsed and peeled)
2 medium onions
olive oil
salt (1 tsp)
pepper (1 tsp)
smoked paprika (1 tsp)
celery seeds (tsp)
dried thyme (1 tsp)
dried oregano (1 tsp)
1 small can of tomato paste (approximately 5-6 oz)

• Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

• In a large saute pan saute the carrots (diced), the celery (rinsed and diced) and the onions (diced) in olive oil and a pinch of salt until tender (approximately 10-15 minutes) over medium heat.

• When vegetables are tender, in a large bowl combine the turkey, the vegetables, the bread crumbs, the spices, the tomato paste, and the egg.

• On a cookie sheet covered in parchment or foil, dump meatloaf mixture and form with hands into a loaf.
• Bake until cooked through in middle (approximately 30-40 minutes) you can test it by sticking a skewer or thin knife into the middle of the loaf, if it comes out clean the loaf is done.
• Let sit 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

I serve meatloaf with some sort of vegetable side (green beans, broccoli, brussel sprouts etc... and yellow skin potatoes).

~Serves 6~