Turkey Mini Meat Loaves

Ground turkey has slowly started to make its way into my house. I started using it mixed 1/2 and 1/2 with ground beef in spaghetti and taco salads. You really couldn't even tell the difference. Leave it to my niece Hannah to ask why some of the meat wasn't turning brown! The turkey does look a little different. It doesn't brown like beef does. But, it is better for you and is a lot more readily available than it used to be. And when you can catch it on sale, like this week at Publix, its even cheaper than the ground beef. I was definitely pleasantly surprised with how well this turned out. My husband really enjoyed it as well. If you haven't tried ground turkey yet, this is one way to start. The meat stays moist with the egg, breadcrumbs, and ketchup mixed in. And the Worcestershire sauce gives it a slightly beef-y flavor. And of course, nothing is complete in my house without a little cheese. I used a 50% reduced fat white cheddar and it was delish! I rounded out the fast, easy meal with boxed mashed potatoes and canned green beans...a real rarity in my house! I made homemade mashed potatoes last night...why, oh why, did I throw them out?!



1/2 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon olive oil
6 tablespoons dried breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 lb. ground turkey (or ground turkey breast)
1 large egg, whisk slightly
4 tablespoons ketchup (plus more for topping)
Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella or reduced-fat cheddar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and onion and saute 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

Combine onion and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well. Spray 12 muffin cups or 6 mini loaves (I have an 8-loaf mini loaf pan that looks like a muffin pan) and divide the mixture evenly. Brush tops with extra ketchup. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-35 minutes (depending on which pan you use) or until thermometer registers 165 degrees. Top with the shredded cheese the last 5 minutes of baking.


Enjoy!


(adapted from Cooking Light- April 2007)