Homemade Breadcrumbs and Turkey Meatloaf

I need to begin this post with an apology.  It should have been up yesterday, but I just couldn't get it pulled together.  April came down with something last week.  She was kind and shared it with Lukas, who passed it on to Koda, who gave it to Keanna.  My days have been filled with caring for my beloved little ones and turkey meatloaf just wasn't a priority.

I rarely buy ground turkey because it is usually over my $2/lb. spending limit for meat.  And Robbie is not a big fan.  But a few months ago, Safeway had it for under $2/lb.  I bought a bunch, packaged it up, and froze it.  To boost the flavor and moistness of this meatloaf, I mixed the ground turkey with an equal amount of ground beef.

If you follow the quantities I give in the recipe below, you will end up with a lot of filler in your meatloaf.  I do this to stretch it out--meat is expensive.  If you want less filler, simply use half the amount of vegetables.

I used homemade breadcrumbs made with leftover bread from when I made croutons.  Simply put the stale bread cubes in your food processor and pulse until desired coarseness.

Turkey Meatloaf
1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground turkey
2 eggs
1 c. bread crumbs
1 tsp. salt
few dashes pepper
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 large onion (about 1 c.)
1/2 large green bell pepper (about 1 c.)
1/2 c. snipped dried tomatoes (not oil packed)
1/8 lb. feta cheese, cubed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine meats in large bowl, mixing thoroughly by hand.

Add eggs and mix to combine.  Incorporate bread crumbs, salt, pepper, garlic powder, mustard, and marjoram.

Mix in onion, green pepper, and dried tomatoes.

Working gently, fold in feta cheese, trying not to crumble it too much.

Transfer meat mixture to baking dish, forming into desired loaf shape.  Using finger, poke holes in middle to promote more even cooking.

Bake 45-60 minutes, testing with thermometer for doneness in center (actual baking time will vary greatly depending on shape and thickness of loaf so use a thermometer).  Let rest 5 minutes before cutting.

Don't worry about that icky ooze--it's just coagulated protein
and fat.  Simply scrape it off and discard it.