Vermont Turkey Loaf

John here again with a hot little dish straight from The Green Mountain State. In my opinion this is the best thing to come out of the state since Calvin Coolidge (fun fact of the day: Vermont's population has the second oldest median age in the US trailing only Maine in old fogieness). Get ready for some loafy fun.

Recipe from Taste of Home's Cooking For 2 Winter 2008 issue

Ingredients

1/3 cup coarsely chopped onion

1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mushrooms

1/3 cup coarsely chopped carrot

1/3 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 pound lean ground turkey

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon DiJohn mustard

Directions

In a small skillet coated with cooking spray, saute the onion, mushroom and carrot until tender; sool slightly.

In a small bowl, combine the vegetables, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into a 6-in. x 3-in. loaf.

Place in an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 375ºF for 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the syrup and mustard; pour half over the turkey loaf. Bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF and juices run clear.

Chef's Comments

This only makes 2 servings so be sure to double if you have a big appetite. Next time I may use butter instead of cooking spray to saute the vegetables as I think it would bring out their flavors a bit more.

VERDICT

I am not a huge fan of meatloaf so I was a little skeptical about this when John said he wanted to make it. However, being the good wife that I am, I let him go ahead and try it. I was pleasantly surprised! It was actually pretty good. The maple syrup adds a nice sweetness to the dish, but it isn't overpowering. Another plus is that it's healthy (292 calories per serving). I enjoyed this turkey loaf and would definitely eat it again, however I enjoyed the Salisbury Steak more, so I must give this 5 out of 7 spoons.