My Meatloaf PERFECTED!

 Meatloaf is probably one of my favorite things to make which is fairly random and could be pre-judged as fairly boring as well.  However, meatloaf is one of those dishes you can really customize, experiment with and take above the "boring meatloaf" stereotype.  I also can appreciate a "one pot" dish that includes all you basic food groups: meat, vegetables and starch.  I had posted a blog a while ago when I first started creating meatloafs....through much experimentation, variations and tests....I feel like last night I created the best meatloaf I've ever made *cue the halleluiah choir*. It was a true accomplishment given that I find myself cooking meatloaf at least one a week (it's become a joke between me and Justin over my obsession for this meat creation).  In addition to creating this  über meatloaf, I decided that I was going to record the calories because in perfecting this recipe throughout the past months, I have also tried to develop a healthy recipe with few calories.  This meatloaf could easily serve 4 people with large portions and the entire dish is only 2,120 calories.....so for those of you who are mathematically impaired, that's 530 calories per person for 4 people for a HUGE piece of meatloaf...AWESOME!

Saziloaf

2 lbs Ground Turkey

1 tbsp Olive Oil

4 Garlic Cloves

1 Medium White Onion

2 Celery Stalks

2 Carrots

1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper chopped

1/2 cup Green Pepper chopped

1 cup Frozen Veggies (I like the pea/corn/green bean mixture)

3/4 cup Breadcrumbs

1 1/2 tbsp Soy Sauce

2 tsp Chili Powder

1 tbsp Basil

1 tbsp Rosemary

1 tsp Paprika

1/2 tsp Cumin Powder

1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Pepper

1/8 cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese

> Chop all your veggies (onion, carrot, celery, red & green peppers, and garlic)

 > Remove your frozen veggies from the freezer to let thaw a bit (insert nerd picture of me demonstrating how to open a freezer)...

> In a large saute pan, heat up your Olive Oil (or as Rachel Ray says, your EVOO - Extra Virgin Olive Oil).  Once it's become hot, add your red pepper flakes and let simmer for 2-3 minutes (or until you hear them start to crackle).  Then add in your chopped veggies from step 1.

 > Cook your veggies for about 8-10 minutes on a medium heat, then add in all your spices ( basil, rosemary, paprika, and cumin) and your frozen vegetables.  Cook for another 5 minutes to allow the aromas of the spices to really bloom and for the frozen veggies to completely de-thaw.

 > Take your veggies off the heat and let cool for a few minutes.  Meanwhile in a large bowl add your Ground Turkey, breadcrumbs, and soy sauce together and mix with your hands.  Once the veggies have cooled enough to handle them, add them to the meat mixture and mix thoroughly.

 > In a large, 1 1/2 inch deep Pyrex add your meatloaf mixture evenly in.  Sprinkle the top with the Pecorino Romano Cheese.  The reason I don't use a super deep dish to cook it in is so that it cooks faster and retains the moisture in the meat and doesn't dry out at all.

>   Cook at 375 degrees for 20 minutes, then switch the oven to HI Broil and cook for 6 minutes so that your cheese becomes a crispy golden brown crust on the top.

 This meatloaf had a perfect blend of spices and flavors and was even a huge hit with Justin.  If you find it boring looking on it's own, you can do what Justin does and put it in a wrap and eat it like a sandwich.  I highly suggest this recipe...it's simple to make, healthy and DELISH!  You also get a great amount of vegetables and fiber from this meatloaf. Enjoy :)