Tasty Turkey Meatloaf-Quick Cook Method

Meatloaf comforts the soul as the weather decides if it’s going to be cold or warm.
In those in between times, grab some lean ground turkey and make a belly-filling, yummy-tasting, soul-comforting meal for the ones you love.
Paired with Baked Rosemary Potatoes, this is sure to please.

This recipe is enough for a whole family, or great as a leftover if you are just a two-some.
Which we are. The cat gets nothing.

Here’s what you’ll need for Tasty Turkey Meatloaf:

2 LBS Lean Ground Turkey (or beef if you are into that kind of thing)
1/2 C Finely Chopped Onions
1/2 C Fine Bread Crumbs (Toast two slices, tear them into pieces and run them through your coffee grinder)
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Garlic
1/4 + 1/4 C Ketchup
1 C crumbled Tortilla, Frito, or any Plain Chips (I save the crumbles from my bags, freeze them in a ziplock
and use them for this recipe)

Preheat your oven to 350.

Put your ground meat into a medium sized bowl. Add the 1/2 C of onions.

Add your 1/2 C of bread crumbs. Shoo away the birds if necessary.

Ok, that was stupid….

Try using your left hand to crack your egg open, while photographing the action with your right hand. It’s a fun alternative to the normal way.
(Add your egg.)

Let’s spice it up! Add the 1/2 tsp Basil.

And the 1/4 tsp Oregano.

Finally, add the 1/2 tsp Garlic.

Dump in your 1/4 C of Ketchup.

Now get in there and get dirty! A spoon just won’t do it-you must use your mittens (hands)….

Here’s a secret I learned a long time ago in making meatloaf-make a ring out of your meat. It cooks so much quicker and the entire loaf is moist.
It changed my life.
Seriously-I didn’t like meatloaf until I discovered this secret.

Make a pretty ketchup pattern on top of the meat ring. Biceps loves ketchup, so I added a little more than this picture shows, just for him. He’s worth it.

Add the 1 C of crumbled chips on top of your meat ‘ring’.

Add a little more ketchup on top of the chips-this ketchup will brown and taste, oh so good.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the center is no longer pink.

Once done, let your meatloaf sit for a few minutes before serving. The juices will soak back into the meat if you do this.
I take this time to pour myself a glass of wine and dish up my sides. Then, I a slice off a considerable amount of the meatloaf and enjoy it to my heart’s content-and I share some with Biceps.

Baked Rosemary Potatoes

WARNING: If you try this recipe, you may become addicted.
Baked Rosemary Potatoes are the perfect compliment to Turkey Meatloaf and are super easy to make.
(And I will share that recipe on Saturday-don’t you worry.)

Please, unfasten your seat belts.
Your tummy needs some more room.

Here’s what you’ll need:

1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I always avoid the “I-get-around” Olive Oil, personally…)
1 tsp Garlic Salt
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/8 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper
2 Sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
6-8 Red Potatoes

Ziplock Bag
9 x 12 Casserole Dish
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, please…

Pour the 1/4 C of olive oil into a ziplock bag.

Add the 1 tsp Garlic Salt and the 1/2 tsp Paprika to the ziplock bag.

Next, add the 1 tsp Sea Salt and the 1/8 tsp Fresh Ground Pepper to the ziplock bag.

By now, this is what will be staring right back at you from the bottom of your ziplock bag. Inhale it’s yummy odor…

Cut your potatoes into bite sized pieces. Add them to the ziplock bag and zip it shut.

Gently shake the bag, keeping a hand on the ‘zippy’ part. I don’t care what they claim, the bag will sometimes unzip at the most inopportune time.
Thoroughly coat the potatoes with the olive oil & spice mixture.

I lightly sprayed no-stick onto the bottom of my 9 x 12 casserole dish before dumping the potatoes in. Spread the potatoes evenly in the dish.

Pull the leaves from your fresh rosemary stems and distribute evenly over the potatoes.
Bake these little yummy dudes at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until tender.

So yummy, so easy…
So good as a leftover the next day because you made WAY too much for two people.
I hope you enjoy-I know I did. Come back Saturday for the Turkey Meatloaf Recipe!

Until we meet again-Admiral Twin

Francis Ford Coppola filmed ‘The Outsiders’ in 1982 in Tulsa, OK.
It stars a couple of unknowns like:
Emilio Estevez, Tom Cruise, Rob Lowe, Ralph Macchio, Matt Dillon and Patrick Swayze.

Several scenes from that movie were filmed at the historic Admiral Twin drive-in movie theatre.
It’s hard to imagine that this run-down theatre once enjoyed hoity-toity types like Francis Ford Coppola and his entire crew of Soc’s and Greasers.

(This photo courtesy of Cali2Okie)
Several scenes from that movie were filmed at the historic Admiral Twin drive-in movie theatre.
It’s hard to imagine that this run-down theatre once enjoyed hoity-toity types like Francis Ford Coppola and his entire crew of Soc’s and Greasers.

A few days ago, the uninsured wooden structure that supported the movie screens had an altercation with gigantic flames.
Flames=1, Movie Screens=0

That charred pile of wood is all that is left of the two movie screens.
The bathrooms survived unscathed, unfortunately.

It’s been wonderful to see the response from Tulsans. They are offering their support-from flowers stuck in the chain link fence to cash donations offered to rebuild the historical drive-in.

Although, some of us T-towners need an incentive to part with our cash. I saw several dollar-bill-to-box-candy exchanges. Whatever brings in the cash, I suppose.

And with our help and $300,000, Admiral Twin shall rise again.
I just hope they can do something about those bathrooms, too….

In Honor of Labor Day

I like to work.
But I have learned the value of taking a break every so often, grabbing a good book and truly relaxing. Because of that, I have decided to take it easy this weekend.

Of course I will still get some work done. Life doesn’t stop, even for those concerned with relaxing and who have given themselves a cute french manicure.

I will be thinking of serene places such as this even while I am working and admiring my cute toes.
I can almost hear the toads ribbiting….

However, a major local historical site burned to the ground, and my editor has requested pictorial evidence.
Instead of the lakes and sunsets I had hoped for this weekend, I will be snapping shots of the charred remains, editing them and wishing that I had a newer version of Photoshop.

And if I need to, I can reminisce about this particular camping trip that happened a year ago about this time. I’ll recall the dewy blankets we slept under, the spider web infested community bathroom and the spiny backbone of a dead fish my big toe accidentally touched.
That will surely cure me, or at least keep me sane for a few more hours…
Hope you have a great Labor Day Weekend as well!