Emeril's Turkey Meatloaf

I am feeling a bit awkward writing this post right now. It has been a long long gap of three and a half months (OMG!!) since I last posted anything on my blog. 

I really believe the  American life has got the better of me!! I can tell you life has been pretty hectic and inspite of my promise to myself to regularly update my blog I have failed miserably. A lot has happened since our move here to Houston 8 months back - I managed to procure my driving license after passing a really tough written test (I don't think I must have studied this hard since my school days), somewhat got over my fear of driving on the freeway, familiarized myself with the 'mind-bogglingly' confusing routes around the city, got my work visa, then managed to get a job at a preschool (was that me a few years back who had promised myself that I would  never to go back to teaching again but here I am!!) which I totally enjoy doing. The 3-4 year olds are absolutely adorable and sure can teach us a few lessons on life. And then of course the mundane daily chores of cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, driving kids around kind of routine just got the better of me and Alas!! the pleasures of chronicling my food adventures had to take a backseat. 

Hey!! Its not as bad as it sounds - I have actually been having a good time!! Apart from experimenting and cooking new recipes (hopefully they will see the light of day soon on this blog) I have a new passion - that of cycling and exploring the beautiful bike trails around our area. We have over 111 bike trails in Woodlands and believe me each more picturesque than the other. After the dusty overcrowded roads of Gurgaon this place is a haven for people like me who love to be close to nature, Biking through these trails, feeling the rush of the wind against your face, zigzagging through forests, lush green Golf courses and riding by lakes, watching the ducks and turtles swimming in them just makes your heart soar. 

So after fitting in all these activities in my daily routine can I blamed if I don't have enough time for doing anything else? Now lets get back to the real business for which I am here - the business of food! 

For you I have a wonderful recipe of Turkey Meatloaf which I tried sometime back. I have adapted this recipe from Emeril's Meatloaf and made an addition of adding hard boiled eggs which I think not only added to the presentation but really upped the taste. (Also because I love boiled eggs). I loved Emeril's healthy twist on the traditional beef version of this classic favorite. Though I doubt but incase you have any left overs it makes great sandwiches too.

Incase you are wondering about these pics, they are from our recent trip to the Universal Studios at Orlando, Florida where Emeril Lagasse has a restaurant called 'Emeril's Orlando'. I had read somewhere that sometimes Emeril made an appearance in his restaurant and being a crazy fan of his that I am, for the three days we were there, every night I used to go up and look in to see hoping that I would get lucky and get to meet him!! Hopefully some day.......

Ingredients

4 slices turkey bacon, chopped

½ yellow onion chopped

1 small green pepper, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 eggs

11/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs

3 to 4 tbsp milk

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

11/2 pounds ground turkey(preferably 85%lean)

1 cup sweet chili sauce or ketchup

1 tsp dried Rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

5-6 hard boiled eggs

 
Method

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large skillet, cook bacon on medium heat stirring till almost crisp.

Leaving one tsp oil in the pan, spoon out the extra bacon fat.

Add onion, garlic and bell pepper and cook for about 2-3 minutes until vegetables are soft.

Remove from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.

Combine the bread crumbs and milk and let sit 5 minutes

Peel the hard boiled eggs. Keep aside.

In a large bowl  add in the minced turkey, 2 eggs(not the boiled ones), dried rosemary, Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoon chili sauce, salt and pepper,

Stir well to combine.

Divide the mixture into 2 parts.

Take a 5-by-9 inch loaf pan and cover the bottom of the pan with one half of the meat.

Place the hard boiled eggs in a row down the middle of the meatloaf.

Shape the remaining meat mixture over the top of the eggs until they are fully covered.

Pat and smoothen the top with the back of a spoon.

Spread remaining sweet chilli sauce over it.

Bake for about 1 hour until meatloaf is cooked through (an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 165 degrees) and the juices run clear. Let it cool in the pan before slicing.

Serve with a sides of mashed potatoes or sweet peas.