Cranberry Glazed Meatloaf With All The Trimmings

Not into making a huge turkey dinner this year but still want all the flavours and kind of feel like you had turkey dinner?


This blast from the past was posted on my other blog, NoReEats back in 2011 and it's something I make when we are craving turkey dinner at other times of the year. Making a huge turkey for just the three of us is kind of ridiculous even though if we could, we would have a big turkey dinner once a  month all year round. If you think about it, I should have had five more kids just to justify more turkey  but it's too late now. I have to make do with this tasty turkey meatloaf and one, measly kid.

I alway freeze some turkey stock after christmas and thanksgiving dinner so I use that to make this but chicken gravy works fine in a pinch. I think you can buy turkey stock from Kitchen Basics if you really want to use turkey broth and don't have any handy.  Just make sure you use all the same herbs and spices that you would use in your stuffing, serve with  mashed potatoes or whatever you would normally make to go with your roast turkey and you will be be amazed by how much Christmas dinner you can pack into this easy little meal.

Cranberry Glazed Turkey Meatloaf With All The Trimmings

serves 4

1 stalk celery, chopped finely
1/2 onion, chopped finely
1 small clove garlic, chopped finely
2 tbls butter
1 piece of 12 grain bread, whizzed in the food processor
1 tbls each: fresh rosemary, thyme , parsley and sage, chopped (or more to taste if you really like herbs)
1 to 2 tbls chicken or turkey stock to moisten
500g or 1 lb ground turkey
1 egg, beaten
salt and pepper

glaze:
1/3 cup mashed cranberry sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
chipotle in adobo to taste


Turkey Veloute:
2 turkey necks
veggie scraps from the meatloaf- celery, onion, parsely, garlic
4 tbls butter
4 tbls flour
2 cups stock


As far as timing goes, I would start the stock and let it start simmering about half an hour or so before I get everything ready for the meatloaf. I would then make the veloute as soon as the meatloaf goes into the oven since they both take about the same time to cook.

Heat a pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the chopped celery, onion and garlic and cook for a few minutes until softened. When they seem cooked, add the fresh herbs and the fresh bread crumbs, combine thoroughly, taste and add some salt and pepper and then add a bit of chicken stock to moisten the mixture so that it's not wet, but not dry.

Heat the oven to 375F.

Meatloaf:
Set the onion/bread crumb aside to cool to room temperature. When it's cooled, combine the ground turkey, the bread crumb mixture and the beaten egg - don't over mix or your meatloaf will be dry.
Divide the meat mixture into four portions. You can either make four individual little loaves or pack them into large sized muffin tins. I used the tins but next time I will not bother but it's up to you. If you shape four little loaves make sure to cook them on a rack placed on a cookie tray lined with foil or parchment if you can so that the fat drips off. If you don't have a rack, just lay them out on a parchment or foil lined baking sheet.
Mix the glaze ingredients and brush the tops with it. Cook the tray in the oven for about 25 to 35 minutes until the internal temperature is about 165 F

Turkey Veloute:
To make the turkey veloute, you put the necks and veggie scraps into a pot and cover with cold water or some chicken stock (or in my case, turkey stock) and you let that simmer away while you make everything else for at least an hour.

Strain your stock and taste. If it doesn't taste strong enough, you can bring it to a boil and reduce it a bit or you can add more chicken/turkey stock. In the end you want to be left with about 2 cups of stock
Heat a sauce pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the flour and quickly stir it i, making a paste and then cook, stirring frequently for a few minutes until it starts to get to be a straw colour.
Take it off the heat and whisk in half the stock, making sure that you have no lumps. Return the pot to the heat, add the rest of the stock and whisk well, bring the stock to a gentle simmer, lower the heat and let simmer gently for about 25 minutes. Skim any skin that forms off the top from time to time.
When it's time to serve, I still pass it through a strainer to make sure that there are absolutely no lumps in it at all if I am at all in doubt. Serve in a gravy boat and cover your mashed potatoes in it.