With American Thanksgiving next week and Christmas just 5 weeks away (Yikes!), I’ve been seeing a lot of recipes lately to celebrate the season. I thought it was a perfect time to start working on some of the recipes I’ll be preparing this Christmas. I didn’t get to prepare a (Canadian) Thanksgiving dinner this year, as we went to my in-laws home, so I’m feeling a bit rusty. That’s what I’m telling myself anyway. I really just wanted an excuse to make and eat stuffing without roasting an entire turkey. With that in mind, I thought a turkey meatloaf would do the trick. I made the meatloaf using some of the flavours I usually include in my Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey; apple, sage and of course, cranberry sauce to finish it off.
It was delicious, even if the pictures weren’t the best. I was a little distracted by the other photographer in the room. My daughter sure likes to help make dinner, now if only she would eat it as well…….
Meatloaf:
1 1/2 Lbs ground turkey breast
3/4 Cup apple, diced
1/2 Cup shallot, diced
2 eggs, beaten lightly
3/4 Cup bread crumbs
1/3 Cup fresh sage, finely chopped
salt and pepper
Cranberry Sauce:
1 bag (340g) of fresh cranberries
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup maple syrup
2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange, sliced in rounds
For the meatloaf:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
In a mixing bowl combine the ground turkey, apple, shallot, sage, eggs, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Mix together until just combined. Place in a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour until cooked through. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
For the cranberry sauce:
While the meatloaf is cooking, combine the cranberries, water, maple syrup, cinnamon and orange slices in a sauce pan. Simmer over low heat for 20 to 30 minutes until thickened. Remove orange slices and cinnamon sticks before serving.
