BreezyCooking
Banned
Made this favorite for dinner last night. Recipe makes a LARGE meatloaf supplying plenty of leftovers for another meal or two &/or lunchtime meatloaf sandwiches!!
Breezy Spicy Mexican Turkey Meatloaf
3 pounds ground turkey
2 medium onions, peeled & chopped
1 red (or orange or yellow) bell pepper, seeded & chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
2 “Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce”, chopped, + one tablespoon of sauce*
2 large eggs
1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (like Progresso brand)
Approx. 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
Approx. 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Approx. 1 tablespoon dried smoked Chipotle chili powder
1 pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated**
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil an 8 x 13 baking dish (or 2 smaller loaf pans, or a baking sheet for a freeform loaf***).
Saute onions, bell & jalapeno peppers in a few dollops of olive oil until just softened. Stir in chopped Chipotles & sauce. Set aside to cool a bit.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs thoroughly with a fork. Add ground turkey, bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, chili powder, grated cheese, & cooled sautéed vegetables. Mix lightly but thoroughly with hands until ingredients are combined.
Press into loaf pan, smooth top, & bake for approx. 1 hour or until the center of the loaf registers 175-180 on an instant-read thermometer. (Don’t worry about the top getting too brown – that’s normal due to the high cheese content.) Remove from oven & allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice & serve as is, or topped with a spoonful or two of your favorite salsa.
* Any leftover Chipotle peppers & sauce can be stored in the fridge or freezer & added to chili, tacos, enchiladas, or any other favorite Mexican recipe.
** This is not the time to break out your pricey crumbly aged cheddar. This is the time for the innocuous inexpensive 1# block of supermarket stuff – lol!!
*** I make this in a lovely imported Williams Sonoma large 8” x 13” glazed pottery baking dish. However, you can also make this in 2 smaller loaf pans, or make a free-form loaf on a baking sheet.
Re: leftovers - I slice the remaining meatloaf & wrap each slice individually & snugly in cling wrap, then place the slices in a Ziploc bag & into the freezer. They defrost & reheat beautifully in the microwave.
Breezy Spicy Mexican Turkey Meatloaf
3 pounds ground turkey
2 medium onions, peeled & chopped
1 red (or orange or yellow) bell pepper, seeded & chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
2 “Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce”, chopped, + one tablespoon of sauce*
2 large eggs
1 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs (like Progresso brand)
Approx. 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
Approx. 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Approx. 1 tablespoon dried smoked Chipotle chili powder
1 pound extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated**
Extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil an 8 x 13 baking dish (or 2 smaller loaf pans, or a baking sheet for a freeform loaf***).
Saute onions, bell & jalapeno peppers in a few dollops of olive oil until just softened. Stir in chopped Chipotles & sauce. Set aside to cool a bit.
In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs thoroughly with a fork. Add ground turkey, bread crumbs, garlic, oregano, chili powder, grated cheese, & cooled sautéed vegetables. Mix lightly but thoroughly with hands until ingredients are combined.
Press into loaf pan, smooth top, & bake for approx. 1 hour or until the center of the loaf registers 175-180 on an instant-read thermometer. (Don’t worry about the top getting too brown – that’s normal due to the high cheese content.) Remove from oven & allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice & serve as is, or topped with a spoonful or two of your favorite salsa.
* Any leftover Chipotle peppers & sauce can be stored in the fridge or freezer & added to chili, tacos, enchiladas, or any other favorite Mexican recipe.
** This is not the time to break out your pricey crumbly aged cheddar. This is the time for the innocuous inexpensive 1# block of supermarket stuff – lol!!
*** I make this in a lovely imported Williams Sonoma large 8” x 13” glazed pottery baking dish. However, you can also make this in 2 smaller loaf pans, or make a free-form loaf on a baking sheet.
Re: leftovers - I slice the remaining meatloaf & wrap each slice individually & snugly in cling wrap, then place the slices in a Ziploc bag & into the freezer. They defrost & reheat beautifully in the microwave.