Turkey Meatloaf with Cranberry Syrup

You've heard of Christmas in July? Well, this is Thanksgiving in July!

I dreamed-up this recipe when we were testing the turkey EPIC Bar. CaveBoy and I agreed that turkey just doesn't taste right unless it is seasoned like Thanksgiving. That means poultry seasoning, garlic, rosemarie, mushrooms, onions, herbes de provence... all the things that go into a great Thanksgiving dressing, or make the turkey shine. Much like the mere mention of pizza sends craving-waves though CaveBoy's stomach, the Thanksgiving discussion had me dreaming of meaty-savory-creamy-and-tart.

Unfortunately, there just isn't enough demand for whole young turkeys to keep them stocked in the summertime. And for good reason. Nobody wants to keep their oven on all day in the middle of the summer. Nobody. Now, CaveBoy and I spatchcock our bird and cut the cooking-time in half, but still. As much as I wanted the taste of Thanksgiving, I didn't want to roast a turkey, either.

I originally intended for this to be a turkey burger recipe (a perfect opportunity to practice my grilling skills), but that didn't work out this morning. I made a slight pivot and converted the recipe into a meatloaf. It tastes great! Truly, I think I hit it out of the park. But I'll let you be the judge of that.

Turkey Meatloaf with Cranberry Syrup

I went a little crazy with the sauces, and put them on everything!

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs ground turkey
2 yellow onions, diced
10 oz white mushroom, diced
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups cranberry juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon honey (optional)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon crushed dried rosemarie
salt and pepper

Instructions

In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add diced onion and saute until it becomes translucent. Add diced mushroom and cook until all the water has evaporated and the mushroom begins to brown. Season with a pinch of salt, a few shakes of pepper, garlic powder, dried rosemarie, and 1 teaspoon of poultry seasoning.

While the veggies are cooking, place ground turkey in a large baking dish. Once the veggies are done cooking add them to the baking dish and let stand until it is cool enough to touch. Return the skillet to the stove and add chicken stock. Gently scrub the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to remove any seasoning "solids" that might be stuck on the pan. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon of poultry seasoning then reduce the sauce until it is about 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and set aside.

Once the veggies are cool enough to touch, use your hands to mix the veggies with the meat. Press the meatloaf into the baking dish. Cook in a 350 degree oven until the juices are clear. About a hour. 

While the meatloaf is cooking, whisk cranberry juice together with honey in a small sauce pan. Place over medium heat. Reduce the sauce until it is about 1/3 cup. It should be the consistency of melted honey. Set aside.

Cut the meatloaf into 4 oz portions and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of reduced chicken stock and 1 teaspoon of cranberry sauce. Serve with mashed cauliflower. Makes 15 4 oz portions.