Turkey Loaf

(based on a recipe from Jane Brody’s Good Food Book)

1 T vegetable oil

2 t minced garlic (2 large cloves)

1 c finely chopped celery (2 large stalks)

1/2 c chopped onion

1 green pepper, chopped

½ lb thinly sliced mushrooms

1-1/4 lb ground turkey

1 egg white or 1 whole egg, lightly beaten

1/2 t salt

1/2 t freshly ground black pepper

Dash nutmeg

1/2 c minced fresh parsley or 2 T dried parsley flakes

In a large skillet, heat the oil briefly and saute the garlic, celery, onion, and pepper, stirring the vegetables until they are slightly softened, about 3 - 5 minutes. Do not let them burn. Stir the mushrooms into the vegetable mixture, cover the skillet for a few minutes until the mushrooms start to give up their moisture, then remove the cover and saute the vegetables, stirring them, until all the liquid has evaporated. Remove the vegetables from the heat and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients. Add the vegetables and combine the ingredients well. Put turkey mixture in a lightly greased loaf pan (approximately 8x4 inches) and bake loaf for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let the loaf rest for 15 minutes, then remove it from its pan for slicing. 

Browned in the Crock Pot Bulk Ground Beef

Put raw meat in crock pot or slow cooker and break it up some. Add some onions, garlic and/or peppers if you want to. You might not want to add them now, since you don’t know what you’ll be using it for. And peppers will be cheaper in a month or so anyway. You can add salt and pepper and other seasonings, too, but you need to remember it’s already seasoned when you use it later. Cook on high for about 4 to 8 hours, depending on how much ground beef you’re cooking. It will take longer if you’re cooking more. Break it up every now and then, like every 15 to 30 minutes if you happen to think about it, or at least every couple of hours. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a huge meatball like hunk of meat. Drain thoroughly. Divide it into recipe-size containers and refrigerate, then freeze. To use, thaw the meat, break it up, and use it in soups, casseroles, etc. as you would browned ground beef. Note that some people have expressed concern that the meat will remain in the “danger zone” of 40-140 degrees too long, increasing the danger of food borne illness. You’ll have to decide that one for yourself. But you definitely won’t want to use a big hunk (like a 5-pound chub) of frozen meat for this. And, by the way, you can cook ground turkey the same way.