Cheese Loaded Turkey Meatloaf

One of my new favorite things is to sneak ground turkey in the place of hamburger. My husband can't tell the difference and I feel like we are eating healthier** and spending less money.  A win-win in my book. Plus I love his shocked face when I tell him he just ate turkey.

While I get most of my recipes from Pinterest, occasionally I venture into allrecipes.com. I love that there are hundreds of reviews and different ways of preparing a particular dish. I ALWAYS read the comments because they tell you a lot.

I started off with this recipe and changed it to fit my needs and the advice of the commenters.

Cheese Loaded Turkey Meatloaf:

• 1 c. milk
• 1 c. italian bread crumbs ***
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/2 an onion diced
• 2 lbs. ground turkey
• 2 dashes of worchestcheir sauce
• 1/2 lb. colby jack cheese in small cubes
• Ketchup/BBQ sauce for the top

Pour the milk over the breadcrumbs. Let it sit for a minute. This helps your breadcrumbs stay moist and tender.

Preheat oven to 400*

Place everything but the cheese in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with your hands. 

Fold in the cheese and shape the mixture into 2 loaf pans.

Pour BBQ or ketchup on top. I tried both and found the BBQ tasted better. 

Place in oven for an hour. 

Make sure your loaf reaches an internal temperature of 165*.

Enjoy.

** The large amount of cheese in this recipe doesn't exactly make it healthy. But we are a work in progress.

*** I did not have italian breadcrumbs on hand so I found this recipe online to make them at home. Super easy and delicious.  

Italian Bread Crumbs:

• 1 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder I didn't have this either. The onions in the meatloaf seemed adequate for flavor.
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried basil      

Mix all ingredients together.

 

Italian Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I've been reading several books and articles about food recently. As I read I can't help but change how I feel about the food I feed my family. I want my boys to eat things that are healthy, delicious, and easy to prepare. Not an easy feat.

Yesterday I made some amazing sandwiches. It was easy, fast, and nutritious. I loved them so much I had to share.

I picked up a simple pork roast at the store, placed it in the crockpot, and poured italian dressing over the top. I let that simmer on low for 4-5 hours. And then I threw it all in the mixer. Did you know if you place cooked meat in the mixer on low it shreds into small delicious pieces? Easiest dinner ever.

While the meat was cooking I started on the bread. It was surprisingly pretty easy. I used this recipe for Italian Herb and Cheese Bread. I haven't had a lot experience with bread, but it turned out. Look at how pretty it is:

I sliced up the bread, avocados, tomatoes, and lettuce. Add some delicious shredded pork and dinner was set. We will definitely be making this again.