Turkey Meatloaf & Roasted Brussels Sprouts (gf)

Mums! Pumpkins! Hay bales on doorsteps! Brussels sprouts! Wait, what?

It’s officially fall, and has been for almost two glorious weeks. Fall is my favorite season (right behind summer, spring, and winter- ha), and one of my favorite ways to enjoy this time of year is to kick my cooking into high gear, including as many seasonal fall veggies as I can on our menu. A favorite is brussels sprouts, which, embarrassingly, I’d always purchased frozen. While I love them any way I can get them, I thought roasting fresh sprouts would be a more elegant and satisfying way to prepare them, bringing out their natural sugars without complicating the cooking process. That instinct was a good one.

behold! caramelized perfection

Man, were these good! Dave and I ate them like candy while the turkey meatloaf finished cooking (unexpected: while delicious, the meatloaf played second fiddle to the gorgeous Brussels sprouts). Here’s what I came up with, main course listed first:

TURKEY MEATLOAF

adapted from Triathlete (so you know it’s nutritious!)

Ingredients:

1 package ground turkey breast
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 small yellow onion, finely diced to match
1 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 tsp garlic paste, or 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
1 egg
3 tbsp ketchup
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
large pinch kosher salt
several large grinds cracked black pepper

Directions:

Preheat that oven! To 375. Dice the onion and pepper first, and heat your olive oil over medium in a large saute pan. Add those veggies, and cook them for 10 minutes, until they’re softened and the onion is slightly browned.

fragrant and lovely

Meanwhile, chop the parsley and garlic, if you’re using fresh, and grab a large mixing bowl. Combine the parsley, garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and pepper with a spoon. Blend this well. Add the turkey and fold it into the herb and sauce mix until it’s all one big seasoned gloppy mess. YUM. Don’t forget to stir those veggies every now and then.

When the onion and pepper are sufficiently soft and fragrant, mix them into the turkey and sauce. This can be done with a spoon since ground turkey is less sturdy than beef (i.e., no need to get your hands involved). Make sure to mix well. Form the turkey mixture into a loaf about an inch and a half tall and 8 inches long- do this on a vented broiling pan. If you like ketchup on top, brush 2 tablespoons on top now. You may also want to line the broiling pan with foil for easy cleanup (something I thought of while staring at my broiling pan after dinner). Pop that bad boy into the oven and roast for 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 before serving. Delish!

don’t take a picture of the cooked meal, just post one of raw meat, like this!

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, on to the super easy pièce de résistance:

ROASTED BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh brussels sprouts, washed and ends trimmed if not purchased trimmed
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt (eyeball this, add/subtract to your liking)
cracked black pepper
2 shallots, cut into quarters (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400. Toss all ingredients in a large bowl, then spread onto a baking sheet or cast-iron skillet. I made mine in cast-iron because I was feeling rustic and wholesome and full of the fall spirit. Circle the wagons, guys. If you’re also feeling that way, go cast iron, and don’t look back. Roast for 40 minutes and serve! So easy! So healthy! Good for you!

gawgeous, pre-cooked

These were so pretty, my sister commented that they “looked suspiciously like a Pinterest post,” which is pretty high on my List of Possible Compliments. Enjoy!