Shed Kitchen: Meat and Potatoes

My mom never made meatloaf when I was a kid, so I didn’t get the chance to hate it like a lot of kids do. I actually ate it at summer camp, though, and always really liked it. I am not normally a meat-and-potatoes kinda girl, but when you run 16 miles in 40 degree weather, you start to crave stick-to-your-ribs kinda food. Both of these recipes are from Ellie Krieger’s The Food You Crave. The meatloaf uses turkey and store-bought marinara and is very easy to assemble. The mashed potatoes are the same ones I made for Thanksgiving, and are a little time-consuming, but they aren’t anything you can’t handle! I just like that you don’t have to peel them or chop them. I hate peeling and chopping potatoes.

Meatloaf Ingredients

3/4 cup quick-cook oatmeal

1/2 cup skim milk

1 medium onion, peeled and chopped

1.5 lbs ground turkey breast (all white meat)

1/2 cup seeded and chopped red pepper

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 c ketchup

1/2 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4-8 ounces tomato sauce

Mashed Potatoes Ingredients

1 and 1/4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes (about four medium potatoes), unpeeled

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth, warmed

1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 and 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped chives

Salt and pepper to taste

This Is How We Do It

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk, and set aside for about three minutes.

Combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper.

Mix just until combined and then transfer the mixture to a loaf pan.

Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.

Meanwhile, put a large pot of water on to boil and boil the potatoes until they are knife-tender. (About 20 minutes.) Drain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Add the broth and mash. They will pretty much just fall apart!

Stir in the sour cream, chives and add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let set for 10 minutes before slicing. (Seriously. I didn’t do this, and that’s probably why mine didn’t slice very neatly. It actually looked more like taco meat than a “loaf.”)

At this point, I put a bag of “Steamfresh” frozen corn in the microwave. Corn just goes with mashed potatoes and meatloaf; don’t fight it. I also served it with the sun-dried tomato bread.

EAT!

This is one of those recipes that makes you feel really good after you prepare it. It’s not particularly difficult, but it takes longer to make than, say, stir-fry, so you’ll spend some quality time in your kitchen. But it’s worth it! Also, meatloaf is a great leftover. After dinner, I put a little meatloaf, a serving of potatoes, and corn in a container for my mom to take to work the next day. Hello, perfect homemade Lean Cuisine! Leftover meatloaf also really good on a sandwich; add some more marinara, reheat, and throw it on a whole-wheat bun and you’ll be all set for round two.

This meatloaf (and whole dinner) smells amazing, tastes great, is super healthy, and is total comfort food, perfect for a cold winter night!