Cranberry Turkey Meatloaf

Say what?  The holidays are over?

First they snuck up on me, and then they whizzed on by.  Let's hit pause for a second.  Because I'd still like to bring you a semi-holiday dish. (Do you like the word "semi-holiday"?  I just made it up, in case you couldn't tell.) I like to think of this recipe as a way to grab one last turkey and cranberry fix before the New Year completely engulfs us.

And this dish has the added bonus of helping me clean out the pantry.  Seriously, you don't even want to know what's in our cupboards and how long it may or may not have been there.

So let's get to it.  Most families end up having turkey with cranberry sauce for the holidays, whether it's Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Since I hold no grand illusions of roasting an entire turkey for myself and my roommate, I decided that maybe I could recreate these flavors on a smaller scale.  Perhaps with a cranberry and turkey meatloaf?  Oooh, shut it.

Cranberry Turkey Meatloaf

yields ~6 servings

Print Recipe

• ~1 1/3 lb ground turkey
• 2-3 sprigs rosemary leaves, diced
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup Italian Style breadcrumbs
• 1 large egg, slightly beaten
• 1 cup onion, minced
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
• salt and pepper, to taste

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a standard loaf pan with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together with hands.  Only mix until everything is incorporated.


3) Gently press the meatloaf into the loaf pan.


4) Bake for ~45 minutes.  (Depending on your oven, you may need more or less time.)


5) Allow to cool before removing from pan and slicing.

 

This is a recipe that I sort of made up as I went along.  It ended up working out well!  I really enjoyed the sweet cranberries paired with the turkey and the hint of rosemary that was laced throughout each bite.  When I make this again, I might consider adding a cranberry glaze, but it's also quite delicious without one.