Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

This is not so much about recipes as method.  Use your favorite meatloaf and stuffing recipes.  Here are my versions to get you started.

Make the stuffing:  (ingredients:  bread, celery, onion, butter, seasonings, broth)

4 slices white bread, finely cubed

1/3 cup finely minced celery (about 1 smallish rib)

1/3 cup finely minced onion

2 tbsp butter

1/3 – 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning

1 pinch salt (adjust as necessary to taste)

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup hot liquid  (broth, bouillon or water)

Saute onions and celery in butter till tender.  Add to bread crumbs in a bowl.  Add seasonings and stir in liquid, combining all ingredients thoroughly.  Set aside.

Make the meatloaf:  (ingredients:  ground meat, panko or other fine bread crumbs, seasonings, milk, bacon slices, ketchup)

900 grams (2 lbs)  ground turkey, chicken, or beef

1 cup panko

1 tsp salt

fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 tsp onion powder

1/2 -¾ cup milk

Crumble ground turkey into a large bowl.  In a small bowl, mix together panko and seasonings.  Sprinkle over meat, add milk, and stir well.

Assembly:

6 slices bacon

plastic wrap

baking pan, 9×13 or a small cookie sheet

2-3 tbsp ketchup

Lay down a generous length of plastic wrap lengthwise.  Arrange bacon strips.  Over the bacon, pat out the meat mixture to form a rectangle.  Sprinkle the stuffing over the meat.  It might look like there’s not enough stuffing, but I found out the hard way that in this case, less is definitely more!  Now the “tricky part”, grab the top of the plastic and begin to pull it (evenly) toward you to start the roll.  Once it gets going it sort of rolls itself.  Make sure to keep the plastic wrap free from the roll.  Plop the whole thing seam side down in your greased baking pan.  Brush the roll with  ketchup.  Bake at 375 degrees F for about an hour, but start checking for doneness around 45 minutes.  Use a meat thermometer to make sure the inside is cooked through.  Transfer cooked roll to cutting board and slice to serve.