Turkey Meatloaf Florentine

Hey there, 

How is your week going?

Lots of good stuff getting done around here, 

which equals a good week!  

I have a question for you...

Do you love

One-Dish Wonders 

as much as I do? 

There is something so relieving for me 

about combining all of the components of a healthy meal into one dish. 

Pop it into the oven and sit back because all of the goodies are in one place. 

Plenty of protein in the turkey,

a nice balance of carbs in the oatmeal (or breadcrumbs, if you prefer)

then spinach and tomatoes 

to cover your veggies and fruit!

I made a big batch of this and the leftovers were just as fabulous! 

How does your family feel about leftovers?

Do you cook a double batch for the purpose of having leftovers?

As you have probably gathered, 

I spend a lot of time trying to ensure that my family eats relatively healthy

and

having leftovers in the fridge

helps to fend off the consumption of overly processed foods, 

of which there is a limited supply in our freezer too.  

Ok, enough about leftovers and on to the main dish…

Start by preheating the oven to 375 F 

and then sautee 

one medium, chopped onion in 1-2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. 

Once the onion starts to soften, 

add 3 heaping handfuls of spinach

and cover for a few minutes to help wilt the spinach.

Spinach cooks down SO much,

even if you think it looks like a ton of spinach

after wilting, 

it is only about a quarter of it's original volume. 

I was going for the double batch of meatloaf, 

so please feel free to adjust the recipe accordingly. 

Three pounds of ground turkey, 

3 cups of quick oats,

1 tbsp seasoning salt,

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce,

1 tsp ground black pepper

are added to the mixing bowl. 

Along with 3 eggs

and the spinach and onion mixture. 

Combine all of the ingredients well. 

I may have started with a spoon,

in sheer optimism, 

but ultimately had to dive right in with my hands to ensure that all ingredients were evenly dispersed.

Traditional loaf in a pan

Since there were two loaves

being made…

one was made traditionally 

in a loaf pan,

lined with parchment paper. 

Rustic loaf on a baking sheet

The second was made in a more
rustic fashion,
just shaped into a loaf
on a baking sheet.

Mini-Meatloaf(s) (gluten free, I might add)

Happy Friday everyone and welcome to the weekend!  We are kicking off our spring sports seasons this weekend with lots and lots of soccer, along with the first baseball game.  I'm planning on beautiful weather and will throw in lots of layers and rain gear, just in case.

Today I want to share with you a recipe for Mini Meatloaf(s).

Do you agree that there is just something so much tastier about mini...well, anything.

I've already told you how I feel about cupcakes, so cake pops would also fall into the same category.

As would mini-hot dogs, mini-cheesecakes, mini-burgers, mini-pizzas, mini-quiches...you get the picture.

They are inviting, as if to say "Here, I was made just for you!"

Despite a mom's night out for me earlier this week, I still wanted to leave the guys something equally tasty and comforting and the mini Meatloaves were just the answer.

These little Italian beefy bites are pretty quick and easy too! (Which is always welcome).

Started by adding 2 lbs of ground beef, 3/4 cup oatmeal (a gluten free alternative to bread crumbs), 2 tbsp of steak seasoning, 2 tbsp of Italian seasoning and 2 eggs to a mixing bowl.

I have no qualms about mixing this all up by hand, there is something therapeutic about getting my hands dirty, but do what you need to do.

However, if you choose to go the mini meatloaf route, I'm pretty sure you are going to have to, roll up your sleeves and dig in to make up about a dozen mini loaves, one for each reservoir in the muffin tin.

The mini version requires only about half of the cooking time as it's parental loaf. Just 20 minutes at 350 F.

Halfway through the cooking time, pull the pan out and spoon Italian seasoned tomatoes over the loaves, to cook down and soak in, for a little extra flavor and moisture.  (Add a tablespoon of Italian seasoning to a can of diced tomatoes.)

RECIPE

Ingredients
2 lbs of ground beef
3/4 cup oatmeal (a gluten free alternative to bread crumbs)
2 tbsp of steak seasoning
2 tbsp of Italian seasoning
2 eggs
1 tbsp of Italian seasoning 
1 can diced tomatoes

Directions
Combine the first 5 ingredients well in a mixing bowl. 
Divide into 12 individual mini-meatloaves. 
Place in sprayed muffin tins. 
Baked at 350 F for 20 minutes. 

Half way through, spoon the Italian Seasoned Diced tomatoes over top.