These individual meatloaves are made with ground turkey and stuffed with a small amount of cheese. They’re a healthier take on comfort food.
There are some meals that stay with you forever. Tastes you’ll always remember, smells you’ll always savor. And, often, it’s not what’s on the table — but who’s around it — that makes those memories so delicious.
This recipe is simple. Some may call it unsophisticated. But, it will always be one of my favorites.
When James and I first started dating, I waited a long time before letting him step foot in my apartment. At the time, I was a single girl working a nightside reporting shift. I’d often go out after work with friends then come home and spend a couple hours on my latest kitchen experiment. As a result, my sink was almost always full of dirty dishes and my apartment was frequently a mess. I knew if James was going to come over, I had to get it together.
After a few weeks, I finally gave in and invited him over. The night before, I stayed up until 5 a.m. deep-cleaning my apartment. That wasn’t even the hard part.
I told James I’d cook him dinner. I’ve always been confident in the kitchen, but I was terrified when it came to making that meal. We were just getting to know each other and I wasn’t even sure what kind of food James liked. I’d typically whip up something fancy and exotic to impress someone, but what if he was picky?
I decided to go with an old standby: mini turkey meatloaves. I’m pretty sure the recipe came from a kids cookbook my mom bought me in first grade. It’s so easy, but everyone I’ve made the recipe for loves them. I figured it was a tasty, but safe option.
When we sat down to eat that night, I barely touched my food. I wanted more than anything to impress James and was worried I’d fall short. I served the meatloaf alongside my grandmother Cattaneo’s green bean casserole — to this day James’ mom says she’s shocked I got him to eat something green.
It wasn’t long into our dinner before James asked for seconds. And then thirds.
I was so relieved. I’d like to think this meatloaf played a role in sealing our fate.
So, next time you’re looking to impress that special guy or gal, whip up this meatloaf. I can’t promise it will get you a husband, but at least you’ll have a great meal.
Turkey Mini Loaves
[ingredients title=”Ingredients”]
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
- 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 2 Tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 Tbsp. dried minced onion
- 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 2 oz. cheese, cut into four pieces about the size and width of your pinky
- 1/4 cup barbecue sauce
[/ingredients]
[directions title=”Directions”]
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray
- Using a fork or whisk, beat together egg, parsley, breadcrumbs, milk, salt, onion and Italian seasoning.
- Add turkey to the mixture and mix with hands until just combined.
- Divide meat into four, equal portions. Wrap each portion of meat around one slice of cheese.
- Place mini meatloaves on cookie sheet, seam side up. Bake for 25 minutes.
- Brush meatloaves with barbecue sauce and bake for an additional five minutes.
[/directions]
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