Thursday, November 3, 2016

Chicken Veggie Meatloaf

The problem I always have with substituting chicken or turkey for beef is that poultry can be so flavorless. Not so with this meatloaf! Lots of spice, Worcestershire, and sautéed aromatics keep things interesting, plus a healthy dollop of (homemade) ketchup or barbecue sauce. You can use any store bought bread crumbs (or grind up your own if you're a crazy person like me who can't throw away bread butts). I used a mishmash of spices here just to keep the meatloaf from tasting too much like any one thing, but if you want to go, say, all rosemary, or use ras el hanout for a Moroccan flair, get creative! (As a guideline, I used 3/4 a tsp salt plus 3 tsp of spice per pound of meat, but I tend to be heavy-handed with the seasoning.) Enjoy!

2 pounds 99% extra lean ground turkey or chicken
1/2 large (or one small) yellow onion
1 green or red bell pepper
1/2 carrot (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp each: chipotle chile powder, celery salt, allspice, turmeric, sage, mace
3 tbs Worcestershire
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup ketchup or barbecue sauce, plus more for topping
2 tbs fresh Italian parsley, optional

Chop the vegetables, then add to a food processor. Pulse a few times until no large pieces remain.

Heat a sauté pan with a tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped veggies and sauté, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper, until no liquid remains. Set aside to cool.

To a bowl add all the remaining ingredients, plus the cooled vegetables. Mix gently until thoroughly blended.

Pour mixture into a non-stick loaf pan and top with more ketchup. Bake for one hour at 350 degrees, then allow ten minutes to cool before slicing. Serve alongside sweet potatoes or peas.

For faster cooking, use an ice cream scoop to divide mixture into greased muffin tins. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 450.