HomeStyle Meatloaf with Garlic Smashed Potatoes

The winter doldrums have officially arrived...


I'm tired of being cold, tired of snow, and it's still January! We haven't had weather like this for 14 years, and I sincerely hope that it stays away for another 14 (maybe, by then, Jack and I will be in our retirement digs someplace warmer, although he continues to talk about moving to Maine...).


The oven is getting a workout which it rarely experiences during other months of the year. If it's bake-able, then I'm making it! Yesterday I received a subscribed weekly recipe from Foodfit. Homestyle Meatloaf with Garlic Smashed Potatoes.


I had bought a large quantity of ground turkey at Sam's Club last week and planned to make and freeze meatballs yesterday, so I decided to make the meatloaf for dinner as well. That would get the oven going for a couple of hours, and perhaps we could even have dinner in the kitchen instead of in the slightly warmer dining room. I like the dining room, but the table is too huge for two people. I see cartoons of this, the woman at one end of the table, the man at the other, using the dedicated butler to relay messages as mealtime conversation. Alas, we have no butler, dedicated or otherwise!


The meatloaf turned out better than I had anticipated. I haven't yet found a meatloaf recipe that I like, remembering my Mom's meatloaf but trying to make it in a method using ground turkey was a failure. That particular meatloaf needed ground beef. So I've tried many over the years, and one or two passed muster, but this one will now be the "go to" recipe.


FoodFit's recipe called for a combination of ground sirloin and ground turkey. Ground sirloin is a good choice for a lowfat diet since it is one of the lowest-fat red meats, but since we don't eat red meat that had to be eliminated. So I just added in that amount of ground turkey. Even if the ground turkey is mixed dark and light meat, it remains low enough in fat that it can get dry and lose moisture during baking, becoming tough. To remedy this, I added some moisture-filled vegetables and also a tablespoon of monosaturated fat-rich olive oil. It worked quite well.

Adding chopped spinach and grated carrots also adds nutrition to the meatloaf, and you really cannot taste the additions (just be sure to finely grate the carrot and also finely chop the already-chopped spinach).

I have found that brushing the top of the meatloaf with ketchup adds a flavor that is quite necessary. I've previously used tomato sauce (and I cringe when I see some recipes calling for undiluted tomato soup as a topping), but I think that the spices in the ketchup, along with the sugar which will caramelize a bit as the meatloaf cooks, is a pleasant flavor (and also prevents the meatloaf from drying out). I'm not a Ketchup Person. I buy a bottle and will invariably toss it because it goes past the expiration date far enough for the condiment to start to turn color. However, there must be ketchup on top of meatloaf... ;)

Along with the recipe for the meatloaf was one for garlic smashed potatoes. Don't miss this one, either. I didn't realize how easy it was to roast a couple of cloves of garlic then smash them into potatoes (especially easy since the potatoes are microwaved, unpeeled, then smashed with a potato masher). This was a perfect side for the meatloaf, and adding the requisite peas-and-carrots, a warming comfort-food meal worthy of a snowy Saturday evening was prepared with a minimum of fuss. And Jack loved the fact that the portion sizes were larger than he had expected (of the meatloaf only, for according to him there are never enough potatoes...) !





* Exported from MasterCook *

Turkey Meatloaf

Recipe By: FoodFit
Servings : 6


Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion -- chopped (3 ¼ ounces, about ¾ cup)
2 cloves garlic -- minced
1/2 cup ketchup -- plus extra for brushing on top
1 egg
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh parsley -- chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces frozen chopped spinach -- (about 1 cup, loosely packed); thawed, squeezed, then chopped even more
1 large carrot -- finely grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey


1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a skillet. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook 2 minutes more and set aside to cool.

3. In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine the ketchup through olive oil, and hen tthe cooled onion mixture. Add the turkey and lightly until it is just combined.

4. Pack the mixture into a 9-inch loaf pan, brush the top with ketchup and bake for 1 hour until fully cooked. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Alternatively, on a baking sheet covered with cooking spray, form the meatloaf into a 10" x 7" oval, slightly flattening the top with your hand, then brush on the ketchup. This will take about 45 minutes to bake (internal temperature at least 190F).


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Per serving: 320 Calories (kcal); 15g Total Fat (3 saturated); (39% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; 104mg Cholesterol; 580mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates




* Exported from MasterCook *

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Recipe By: FoodFit
Servings : 6



Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 pound potatoes -- (Yukon Gold preferred), scrubbed
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth -- (may also need to add some skim milk as well)
1 large garlic bulb -- unpeeled
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt -- (approx)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper -- (approx)


1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. Place the garlic cloves in an ovenproof dish and drizzle with olive oil. Place the dish, uncovered, in the oven for 15-20 minutes until the garlic is golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and let cool.

3. Prick each potato several times with the tip of a sharp knife. Place them in a single layer in a microwave-safe container and microwave until they are tender throughout, about 8 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.

4. In a small saucepan, bring the stock to a boil and turn down to a simmer.

5. Cut off the root end of each bulb and squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a small bowl. Mash the garlic with a fork and throw the skins away.

6. Mash the potatoes (and their skins) with a potato masher. Add the roasted garlic. Slowly add the stock and mash until the desired consistency is reached.

7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



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Per serving: 89 Calories (kcal); 2g Total Fat (trace saturated); (18% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 16g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 368mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates