Craving Ellie in My Belly

So I went and joined another group. I know, I know! I shouldn't but I just couldn't help myself! Craving Ellie in My Belly was created by Leigh of Lemon Tartlet and it is dedicated to Ellie Krieger's Foods You Crave. I had just bought this cookbook and loved it so there was no choice. I had to join.

Hopefully, this group will help me on my quest to kick my butt back into shape. Ellie's recipes are healthy and delicious. Often diet food is bland and not fun to eat. From the looks of some of the recipes, Ellie's doesn't look to be that way.

Our first recipe was Mom's Turkey Meatloaf. I had to laugh at this one. A few days before the group was announced, I was this close to making this dish. I had some ground frozen turkey in the freezer that was calling my name. I passed on it that time but I'm glad I did so I could make it with the group.

For such simple ingredients, this meatloaf was delicious. It was definitely very moist. So moist that when it was done baking, it was in a puddle of juices. All of that moisture made it so hard to get a slice to stay together. It took me two tries to get a good slab! I'm not sure what made it so moist. Perhaps the oats soaked in milk? The tomato sauce topping? Despite the holding together issue, I really enjoyed the meatloaf. It had a lot of flavor even though it was made with turkey.

To see more Mom's Turkey Meatloaf, check out the other Ellie heads here!

Mom's Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
* 1/2 cup skim milk
* 1 medium onion, peeled
* 2 pounds ground turkey breast
* 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1/4 cup ketchup
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, stir together the oats and milk. Thinly slice 1/4 of the onion and set aside. Finely chop the remaining onion.

I added a but of chopped garlic.

In a large bowl combine the turkey, oat mixture, chopped onion, bell pepper, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix just until well combined.

No icky onions on top for me!

Transfer the mixture to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish and shape into a loaf about 5 inches wide and 2 1/2 inches high. Pour the tomato sauce over the meatloaf and sprinkle with the sliced onions. Bake for about 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees.F.

Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

Not very photogenic is it?

Source: Mom's Turkey Meatloaf