About 8 years ago I posted a recipe for Pesto and Spinach Meatloaf. (Click on the link towards the end of this post to check it out). It was a keeper and has made repeat appearances on our dinner table. That one was made with ground turkey, spinach and pesto. Lately, however, I have been experimenting with that recipe and have made it into something a little different, but just as tasty. Most of the ingredients are the same with one exception…ground turkey has been joined by Italian sausage. It isn’t a huge change, but I really like the extra flavor and texture it adds to the meatloaf.
The ingredients are simple. ground turkey and Italian sausage (if you can get bulk sausage, it saves you the task of removing casings), onions, garlic, spinach and pesto are the mains. Bread crumbs, eggs and cheese are the binders. Put them all together and you get a moist and flavorful meatloaf
The sausage can be hot or mild, your cheese can be parmesan, romano, even asiago. For the Italian seasoning I really like the McCormick Italian Herb grinder. It has among other things rosemary, oregano and other dried herbs, there’s even some red pepper flakes and dried tomato. There is just a hint of salt and plenty of black peppercorns. Fresh spinach works best in this recipe, but thawed and well squeezed frozen chopped spinach would work as well. You know that my recipe is just a suggestion…always make it your own.
This makes a very generous loaf that will serve 4 or 5 people easily. You can divide it in half, bake one now and freeze one loaf for later if your table is set for two. The other version from years ago encouraged making individual “mini” loaves that would work very well, too.
You can always bake the large loaf and bring it to the table for two. Leftover slices make wonderful sandwiches.
Did you notice that this version has a cloak of melted cheese? That works very well, too. I prefer cooking this meatloaf in a loaf pan. It guarantees that it will hold together and the cooking juices can keep more of the juicy flavors in.
As far as sides go, any vegetable will do. Roasted or sauteed vegetables are wonderful. I have also served it with a tomato and cucumber salad which is nice in the summer. In its original incarnation it was individual loaves with green beans roasted along side and lovely creamy mashed potatoes to create the perfect comfort classic.
Here’s the new recipe, only a bit different form the original.
- 1 Pound Ground Turkey
- 1 Pound Italian Sausage
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Onion
- 2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 6 Ounces Fresh Spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 Cup Panko Crumbs, regular or whole wheat
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 1/2 Cup Pesto
- 1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
- 1-2 Tsp. McCormick Grinder Italian Seasoning
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add the olive oil. Once it is hot add the onion and cook for several minutes until it it is softened. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two more.
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Add the spinach to the skillet and cook, tossing frequently until the spinach is very wilted. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
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While all of this is happening, mix the sausage and turkey with the eggs, bread crumbs, pesto and Italian seasoning.
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Add the cooled spinach mixture and the grated cheese. Toss gently until everything is nicely mixed.
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Pack the mixture into a loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven. This should take 45 minutes or so. Check with a meat thermometer. It should read at least 175 degrees. Remove from oven and let rest. Slice and serve.
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Note: If you want to add a coating of cheese, when the loaf is cooked remove the loaf from the pan, put it on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the melting cheese of your choice. Return it to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese is melted,
The weather has taken a turn towards Fall and the holidays are creeping up quickly. It is meatloaf weather once again. Play with this recipe until it is your own new favorite.
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I chose the dried version of each and reconstituted it with time and water. Note to self: Forget your childhood aversion and use the fresh stuff next time. I had some Sourdough bread cubes that I crushed up and added to the mix along with some finely grated Romano and a couple of eggs. Since I had a started jar of Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Tapenade on hand I threw that in as well. If the stars align, and I have it on hand again, I would use more. Still the flavor it gave to the meatloaf was delightful if a bit subtle. (Another note to self…)
couple of hours. While that was happening, I made a a tomato sauce to go on top. Let me tell you how much I love canned Italian Cherry Tomatoes. They are so sweet and tender and just bursting with flavor that they are the perfect addition to almost anything. Given a little time and some garlic, onion, and olive oil, they make a slightly chunky and flavorful sauce that is anything’s crowning glory. Thankfully, they must be an up and coming new darling in the marketplace, because I can find them in more stores now and I always like to have a can or two on hand.
My ground meat of choice was turkey, but this would work with any ground meat that you desire. Eggs and bread crumbs were there of course because I wanted the meatloaf to remain a loaf and these two ingredients make the perfect glue. Onions are an absolute necessity and for this rendition I added some fresh spinach. Before they went into the bowl, I cooked them in a little olive oil. I like my meatloaf to have a smooth consistency and this seemed to do the trick. The last ingredients were grated Pecorino Romano and some Pesto
Another 15-20 minutes in the oven and my loaves and beans were ready for plating. Rounding out the dish and making this a comfort food classic was a scoop of creamy mashed potatoes.
This was a plate of pure love and comfort and really took very little immediate effort on my part. Best of all, there are more little loaves in the freezer to bring tasty joy to the holidays.
