::meat:loaf::

Okay, so I slept in this morning and am wide awake and it is just after 11pm. I have been blogging a bit and been looking through my Everyday Food cookbook {I keep saying this} but I just can't help it...there are so many fantastic recipes in there that I just have to recipe vomit all over my blog - okay that was a bit too much. I know. 

Alright! So here we go! 

This isn't a random pick but I was looking through it and thought, "hmm, interesting..."...I am not a "meatloaf" fan...in fact...I find the word itself sort of disgusting...and when I see meatloaf...it usually looks like a dry piece of pooh {am I getting a bit too graphic here? ha ha - AND it's a recipe post!}. Anyways! I really just think it's one of those American type fatty gross tasteless Monday through Friday craptastic meal idea's...

Hold up! This is just my opinion!

So when people tell me that they are having meatloaf for dinner I cringe inside and say "omg..gross"...

It wasn't until my Mom told me that she recently had meatloaf and it wasn't that bad that I maybe-sorta-kinda second guessed myself...

And than another realization hit me...

A meatloaf is just a gigantic oversized hamburger patty! 

YES! And that is how I am going to think of meatloafs from now on! It is NO longer meatloaf! I dub it "gigantic oversized hamburger patty".

I thought of this especially after seeing this recipe in the book and realizing that the recipe was so very similar to the turkey muffins I am going to be making. Except the muffins are bitesized and the meatloaf you slice...

Or hamburger patties that you can make from scratch...

So hey, I can't knock it until I try it and I definitely will now...BUT with leaner meat...so instead of the beef that the recipe calls for, I am going to use ground lean turkey and add lots of veggies to keep the turkey moist {as it tends to dry out a lot quicker since there isn't a lot of fat}. AND this can be eaten during the week and is a great source of protein for all us that are pumping iron during the week.

 So here we go with the recipe! :) 

Ps. Don't ask me why the recipe is called what it's called...

Oh and it's on page 74/75. 

Bon Appetit!

Lighter Blue-Plate Special

Serves 4 :: Prep Time: 30 minutes :: Total Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

2 small carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/4 medium onion, chopped

1/4 cup panko {Japanese breadcrumbs}

1 large egg white

3/4 pound ground beef sirloin

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1/4 cup homemade or store-bought barbecue sauce

1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick

3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 pound green beans, stem ends removed

1 teaspoon olive oil 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Process carrots, celery, onion, and panko with egg white in a food processor until finely chopped and combined, about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl; mix in beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 

2. On a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet, form meat mixture into a 6-inch-long loaf; brush with half the barbecue sauce. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted in loaf registers 160F, 25 to 30 minutes, brushing halfway through with remaining sauce. 

3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, cover potatoes in cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; add salt. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until potatoes are easily pierced with the tip of a paring knife, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain, return to pan. Stir over medium until a starchy film forms on bottom of pan, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; mash with buttermilk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. While potatoes cook, set a steamer basket in a pot filled with 1 inch of simmering water. Add green beans; cover, and cook until crisp-tender and bright green, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; add oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss.

5. Serve meatloaf with mashed potatoes and green beans. 

PER SERVING: 327 calories; 5.9 g fat {2.2 g saturated fat}; 24.7 g protein; 45.2 g carbohydrates; 7 g fibre. 

Why It's Light

Made with lean sirloin, and studded with chopped carrots, celery, and onion, this meatloaf is just as delicious as the diner classic, but better for you. The meat mixture is bound with an egg white, not the whole egg, as well as the flaky Japanese breadcrumbs known as panko. Even the potatoes are lighter, since they are mashed with low-fat buttermilk {rather then butter, cream or whole milk}.

-S.*