Turkey Meatloaf

I used to be scared of meatloaf. The name itself is NOT appetizing!!! After falling for ground turkey rather than beef, I wanted to try a meatloaf, but needed more moisture (ground turkey is a lot more dry than beef) so I created this recipe that we really love.

1 lb ground turkey

1 cup chopped spinach (I always use fresh, I've never used frozen...I'm sure it'd work, but recommend fresh) I think this is the key to keep it moist.

1/4 envelope Lipton Onion (or Beef) soup mix

3 Tbs. ketchup

A few splashes worcheshire sauce (that just took me 10 minutes to find the spelling)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (again, I always use fresh, not the green can. You can substitute any cheese you'd like)

12 saltine crackers (smashed into fine crumble) I have also used goldfish crackers...VERY good!

1 egg

Mix altogether until combined. I try to handle as little as possible. I don't use a loaf pan (maybe I'm just opposed to the word loaf, I don't know!) but I form mine into mini football shapes. I make 5 out of the mix. I get a pan on top of the stove piping hot with a little olive oil, then add the mini loaves to get a good sear on them...I finish them off in the oven (375 for 20 minutes or until done)

You can make a lot of variations to this: different crackers, add real onion, add zucchini, different cheeses, BBQ sauce instead of ketchup...it's a pretty easy "no-fail" recipe.

Enjoy!