Turkey Meatloaf (Or: How I Got My Kids to Eat Onions!!)

Meatloaf is one of those things that Mom used to make. It's the essence of "comfort food". Whenever I try to make it now for my kids, they get all weirded out by the onions. My mom always uses raw chopped onions in her meatloaf and I always loved the cooked bits of onion scattered throughout the meatloaf. My kid see one onion piece and won't eat another bite. My husband says his mom had the same problem when he and his siblings were growing up, so she used onion powder...but that's just not the same. The following recipe worked so well, since i first sauteed the onions and then pureed the heck out of them in a mini food chopper. The resulting meatloaf was enjoyed by all without any whining!

Turkey Meatloaf

serves 4

1 lb. ground turkey
2 tbsp. Worcestershire
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp salt
black pepper
1 egg (I realized I was out of eggs while making this last week and used 1/4 cup egg substitute)
1/2 cup whole wheat plain breadcrumbs
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil.

Saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Then put the onions in a mini food chopper or food processor and puree until no pieces of onions are visible. In a large bowl, mix the ground turkey, Worcestershire, garlic powder, ketchup, salt, pepper ("to taste"), egg, and pureed onions. Add breadcrumbs and mix. If the mixture seems too liquid, add more breadcrumbs. (Note: If you want to check the seasoning, cook a teaspoon of the turkey mixture in a saute pan until browned and then try it). Shape the turkey mixture into a loaf and place on a broiler pan. Cook at 350 degrees until browned and until the internal temperature is 160, about 1 hour. Leftovers freeze well.