Santa Fe Meatloaf

My mother-in-law was kind enough to get me a subscription to Cooking Light magazine.

Today I was looking through the last couple issues and the one recipe that intrigued me most was from Gina Homolka, the author of skinnytaste and several great cookbooks.

Hands down Gina's recipes are my favorite.

They can be a little higher on points sometimes than Hungry Girl but they are over the moon on flavor and presentation.

This was actually one of her slow cooker recipes but you know me, I was feeling lazy and impatient all at the same time and decided to make this today.

So, I baked this in the oven.

I also didn't feel like thawing out a second pound of ground turkey(it calls for 1 1/2 lbs) so I only used one pound.

This is a do-as-I-say-and-not-as-I-do thing.

You really need to use all of the 1 1/2 lbs of meat or it comes out too soft and doesn't hold it's shape well.

The flavor and idea of it was still great and I'll definitely make this again.

I would probably even go ahead and do it in the oven again.


Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs 93% fat free ground turkey

2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp, mild red enchilada sauce, divided

1/2 cup quick oats

1/2 cup chopped green onions(I used 1/4 cup pre-cooked caramelized onions)

1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp, fresh or frozen corn kernels, divided

5 Tbsp, canned unsalted black beans, rinsed, drained, and divided

1/2 cup chopped, fresh cilantro

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 (4 oz) can mild, chopped green chilies, drained well

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 garlic clove, crushed or grated

1 1/2 oz pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend(about 1/3 cup)

1 jalapeno, thinly sliced(optional)

Cilantro leaves(optional)


Instructions

Cut parchment paper to about 15 x 9 1/2 inches to form a sling to allow you to easily insert and remove the meatloaf from your slow cooker.

Combine turkey, 2 Tbsp enchilada sauce, oats, onions, 1/3 cup corn, 1/4 cup black beans, chopped cilantro, cumin, salt, onion powder, chilies, egg, and garlic.

Mix everything well using clean hands, and then shape into a 9 x 5 inch loaf flattened slightly on top.

Place loaf onto the prepared parchment paper; while holding edges of paper, carefully insert into a 5-6 quart slow cooker(make sure lid closes well without paper getting in the way).

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours.

I decided to bake mine in a regular loaf pan at 350 F for 40 minutes.  

Pull loaf out of slow cooker using parchment sling; set aside.  Wipe parchment clean; drain liquid from bottom of slow cooker.(Since I didn't use the slow cooker I didn't have to mess with this messy step.  Ha ha ha!)

Return loaf to slow cooker using parchment sling.  Cover loaf with remaining 2/3 cup enchilada sauce, cheese, jalapeno(if using), remaining 1 Tbsp corn, and remaining 1 Tbsp black beans.

Cover and cook on high until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.  Garnish with cilantro leaves, if desired.

Pull loaf out of slow cooker; cut into 12 slices.  

I set this to serve 6 which puts it at 7 pts per serving.

I think if I hadn't been lazy and had used the full 11/2 lbs of turkey it called for it would've been perfect.

As it is it was still fantastic.

It's something I'd never tried before and that's what intrigued me to begin with.

Happy Cooking!