Mom's Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Garlic-Rosemary Potatoes

I am all about comfort food, as I mentioned in the French Pot Roast entry. The best and most ultimate comfort food is something that was just like Mommy (or Grandma or Dad) used to make. It's like in one of my favorite movies, Ratatouille ... I hope I'm not spoiling anything, but there is a scene where the harsh food critic Anton Ego is served the title dish and he immediately flashes back to his childhood. He skinned his knee on his bike and went home to his mommy, where she kissed him and served him a big bowl of his favorite food.

Do you know why comfort food is referred to as comfort food? There really is a scientific reason why. Not only can they remind you of happy times, but a lot of comfort foods like mashed potatoes or macaroni and cheese contain carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can stimulate neurotransmitters to adjust the chemical balance of our brains to release serotonin. Serotonin helps us relax and feel calm (Source: HealthMad).

So that's why when someone is having a crappy day, don't berate them when they pound down the pasta and then scoff when they claim it's helping them feel better. It's serious business.

That being said, I've been kind of down lately and I am totally a comfort-eater. Shocking, right? Anyway, what is a better pick-me-up than a dinner that reminds you of home? Especially on a night where it looks like a dirty, gray Slushie has been poured all over the courtyard of your apartment complex.

This recipe really belongs to my father and originally dubbed "Ketchup In, Ketchup On Meatloaf." It was made with ground beef and topped with bacon and ketchup. When my mother opened her vegetarian-friendly restaurant, she modified the recipe slightly to appeal to those who did not eat red meat. She changed the beef to ground turkey and omitted the bacon.

I first made this recipe while I was vacationing in Seaside Heights with my fiance and some friends. We rent a small townhouse there and discovered that it was way more cost effective if we stayed in and cooked for ourselves at night, instead of indulging in the overpriced, deep-fried, so-bad-it's-good boardwalk fare. My very first attempt was not necessarily a bad one, just not a great one. Now, I think I have this recipe down to somewhat of a science.

Along with the meatloaf, I will be making some rosemary-garlic roasted potatoes. I usually do not dress my roasted potatoes - I don't think they particularly need it - but I had some fresh rosemary in the fridge and thought it would be a nice touch. Ironically, my mother cannot stand rosemary and will most likely cringe to read that I even allowed her most hated herb to come into contact with her meatloaf!

MOM'S TURKEY MEATLOAF
YOU WILL NEED:
3 lbs ground turkey
2-3 stalks of celery
1 red or green bell pepper
1 red or white onion
2 eggs
1 cup dry oatmeal
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp dried thyme


ROSEMARY-GARLIC POTATOES
YOU WILL NEED:
1 lb Yukon gold or red potatoes, cut into quarters
1 1/2 tsp rosemary
1 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste 

mise-en-place

As you can see, potatoes are missing. See, I thought I was going to be making this for dinner last night, so as soon as I woke up on Monday, I was in the kitchen cutting up potatoes. I threw them in an ice-water bath and stuck them in the fridge (refresher: soak potatoes in cold water prior to frying/baking to draw out the starch and therefore have crispier potatoes as an end result).

As it so happens, we decided to go out to lunch with Colleen and overdosed on sushi and udon. So we didn't even feel hungry until almost ten o'clock at night. We decided to order in from a pizza place instead. The potatoes have now been soaking in ice water for an astonishing 36 hours. Can't wait to see how they come out.

In terms of equipment, you will need a 9x13 casserole dish, a medium or large skillet, a large mixing bowl and a 10x15 baking sheet.

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Dice the onion, pepper and celery. Saute in olive oil and thyme until soft.

2. Mix ground turkey, vegetables, eggs, oatmeal and ketchup in a large bowl (If for any reason the mix is too wet, add more oatmeal. If it is too dry, add more ketchup).

I prefer do this with my hands, that way I know everything is evenly mixed.

3. Form it into a greased 9x13 loaf pan. Top with ketchup if desired.

4. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour!


Now for the potatoes...
1. In a large mixing bowl, pour olive oil over the potatoes. Add the rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper.

2. Mix well until the potatoes are coated.

3. Spread in a single layer on a tinfoil-covered, greased baking sheet.

4. Bake at 425 degrees F for 30 minutes (but because I am making it with the meatloaf, I am baking them at 350F for an hour). 

The smells coming from my oven were heavenly and I could not stop the tummy grumbles. Of course, the end result was just as I had hoped. Sort of. The potatoes weren't done at the same time as the meatloaf. So I took the meat loaf out of the oven, cranked up the heat to 450F and let the potatoes cook for another five minutes and they were perfect!

Nothing is better than eating your favorite food when you're feeling down. I really needed this sort of pick me up, and the science doesn't lie - it really did make me feel better.

Coming up this week I will hopefully have either a salmon dish or a chicken dish. I am thinking I'll go with salmon, because I have only covered one fish dish so far. I know a lot of beginner cooks are apprehensive about cooking with fish, but trust me - your fears will float away once you get a load of Pesto Salmon with Black Bean & Corn Salsa!

Until next time...stay safe.