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Pastry Wrapped BBQ Meatloaf Stuffed with Blue Cheese and Spinach

I created this recipe as a Superbowl recipe for a Superbowl recipe contest a few months ago. Saddly I didn't win, but I did get to eat a whole meatloaf in the process. So I made out pretty well afterall. This is really just a different spin on my Italian Spinach Stuffed Pastry Wrapped Meatloaf for people who perfer BBQ sauce and blue cheese. I made my own crust, but you could skip that step and wrap yours in a premade rolled crust from the grocery. Just make sure you let it thaw until it's plyable and you may need to flour and roll it to the right size.

Pastry Wrapped BBQ Meatloaf Stuffed with Blue Cheese and Spinach

Meatloaf:
2 lbs ground turkey or beef
2 eggs
3/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 cup bbq sauce
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
2 cups bread crumbs
1 medium onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a small skillet saute onion with a tablespoon of oil or butter until softened. Mix the meat, eggs, bread crumbs, bbq sauce, salt and pepper, and onion together in a large mixing bowl. Line a cookie sheet with a generous amount of foil. Pat out the meatloaf so that it completely covers the cookie sheet evenly. Layer the spinach and blue cheese in a line lengthwise in the center of the meatloaf. Use the foil to help fold the edges over the spinach and cheese, shaping tightly into a loaf. Make sure the loaf is smooth and sealed. Bend the foil over loaf and seal tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Wrap with pastry and continue to bake as directed below.

Crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks butter
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream

With hands or food processor, combine flour and butter to form a crumbly texture. Add egg and sour cream and combine into dough. Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and roll into a rectangle roughly the size of the cookie sheet. Place the cooked meatloaf in the center of the sheet of dough.  Wrap the dough around the loaf.  Dampen the edges at the seams so they will seal well. Place the pastry-wrapped loaf in a greased shallow pan (you may have yet more fat cook out) with the seam down. Bake at 375 degrees F until the crust is golden brown, usually 25 to 30 min. Serve hot or at room temperature.  Cut slices across the loaf to show the layers. 

Swedish Turkey Meatballs

Meatballs are very popular in my household. We have them in soup, pasta, or as a stand alone entree about once a week. So when I say that this is an amazing recipe for Swedish meatballs, you should take my word for it. I don't like mushrooms, so I took them out of the recipe, but you could add 10 oz of sliced button mushrooms to the sauce if you wanted. Also, the challah bread really makes a big difference, so you need to make your own challah breadcroumbs.

For the meatballs:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 medium onion, finely food processed
10 ounces challah bread, food processed to crumbs (about 3 1/2 cups)
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons salt
25 grinds freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground turkey

For pan sauce:
1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/3 cup medium-dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup flour
1 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bag egg noodles (to serve on)

For the meatballs:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onions until soft and translucent. Set onions aside to cool and wipe skillet clean. In a large mixing bowl combine the cooled onions with remaining meatball ingredients. Form the mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls.
Heat remaining oil in skillet over high heat. Brown the meatballs on all sides.

For the pan sauce:
Set meatballs aside. Add the butter and onion to the pan and saute until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Add the sherry and chicken stock, to deglaze the pan. Sprinkle in the instant flour and cook until sauce thickens. Add the half-and-half, Worcestershire and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer, whisking often until thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Remove pan from heat, add meatballs back to the pan. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Serve over cooked egg noodles.

Pastry Wrapped Spinach Stuffed Meatloaf

I am in love with pastry and want to wrap all of my food in it and bake it. I made up this recipe as a small town nod to Beef Wellington (sans mushrooms and pate). This is an Italian style spinach stuffed meatloaf baked and wrapped in a quick sour cream pastry and baked again to golden brown.

Pastry Wrapped Spinach Stuffed Meatloaf

Meatloaf:
1 1/4 lbs ground turkey
2 eggs
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
1-2 handfuls shredded mozzarella
aluminum foil
10 oz frozen chopped spinach thawed/drained
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion

Preheat oven to 350. Mix the turkey, eggs, and spaghetti sauce together in a large mixing bowl. Line a cookie sheet with a generous amount of foil. Pat out the meatloaf so that it completely covers the cookie sheet evenly. Layer the spinach and cheese in a line lengthwise in the center of the meatloaf. Use the foil to help fold the edges over the spinach and cheese, shaping tightly into a loaf. Make sure the loaf is smooth and sealed. Bend the foil over loaf and seal tightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Wrap with pastry and continue to bake as directed below.

Crust:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 sticks butter
1 egg
1/2 c. sour cream

With hands or food processor, combine flour and butter to form a crumbly texture. Add egg and sour cream and combine into dough. Turn dough out onto generously floured surface and roll into a rectangle roughly the size of the cookie sheet. Place the cooked meatloaf in the center of the sheet of dough.  Wrap the dough around the loaf.  Dampen the edges at the seams so they will seal well. Place the pastry-wrapped loaf in a greased shallow pan (you may have yet more fat cook out) with the seam down. Bake at 375 degrees F until the crust is golden brown, usually 25 to 30 min. Serve hot or at room temperature.  Cut slices across the loaf to show the layers. 

Leftover Turkey Pot Pie

We had a lot of leftover turkey at my house after Thanksgiving this year. It continued to feed us for 2-3 meals past Thanksgiving. The last of it went int this really easy pot pie with some leftover greenbeans. Just thow a bunch of stuff in a big ziplock bag, shake it up, and bake it in a premade pie crust. It's a little ghetto to start cooking with condensed soups, but desperate times call for desperate measures. It was actually pretty tasty.

Turkey Pot Pie

1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 cups cubed cooked turkeys
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of celery soup
1 cup frozen green beans, cooked and drained
1 double-crust pie (9 inches)
1 tablespoon milk

In a skillet, sauté carrots, onion, celery, thyme and pepper in butter until vegetables are crisp-tender.

In a large re-sealable plastic bag, combine turkey and flour; shake to coat. Add turkey, soup and green beans to the vegetable mixture; mix well.

Line a 9-in. pie plate with bottom crust. Add turkey mixture. Roll out remaining pastry to fit top of pie; seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry. Brush with milk. Cover edges loosely with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 55-65 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Savory Turkey Gravy

This gravy is slightly more advanced than my easy turkey gravy, but it promises a richer flavor. Why not take your gravy to the next level this year?

Savory Turkey Gravy

1 shallot, minced
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 sprig rosemary, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 sprig thyme leaves, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

Pour any pan drippings into a cup or small bowl. Put 3 tablespoons of the drippings in a medium saucepan over medium high heat and combine the rest with the stock later. To the pan, add the shallot, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Cook until shallot is tender, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, make a paste with the butter and flour in a small bowl, set aside. Add the broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil and whisk in the flour mixture. Boil until sauce thickens to make a gravy, about 4 to 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning, to taste. Remove and discard the garlic and bay leaf. Serve.

Wolfgang’s Brined Roast Turkey

A few years ago I discovered that brining a turkey is really the only way to prepare it. The act of brining gives the meat so much flavor and juiciness that it's a crime not to. I used a simple brine recipe from Dave Lieberman the past couple years and loved it, but this year opted for something more complex.

Wolfgang’s Brined Roast Turkey

Brine:
1 gallon water
1/2 ounce ground cloves
1/2 ounce ground ginger
4 ounces cracked black peppercorns
12 bay leaves
1 pound kosher salt
24 ounces honey
24 ounces maple syrup

1 (10-pound) whole fresh turkey
1 stick butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves
2 apples, quartered and cored
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 rosemary sprigs
3 sprigs sage
Olive oil, for drizzling

In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Remove neck and giblets. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen to the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin. Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.

Place the turkey breast-side up in the roasting pan. Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin. Roast the turkey to at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 1/2 hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, tent with foil.

Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pan gravy.

Don't Forget to Thaw Your Turkey

Thanksgiving is all about planning recipes, prep times, and cooking times. Before you do anything else you need to buy your frozen turkey and allow the proper time for it to thaw. Thawing the bird in the refrigerator is the easiest and safest method, so make sure you buy your turkey a few days early and follow the directions below.

Refrigerator Thawing

If you want to thaw your turkey in the refrigerator, you need to start days before cooking. Keep the turkey in its original wrapping and put it in a pan to catch the moisture. Allow 24 hours of thawing time for every 5 pounds of turkey.

8 to 12 pounds: 1 to 2 days
12 to 16 pounds: 2 to 3 days
16 to 20 pounds: 3 to 4 days
20 to 24 pounds 4 to 5 days

One of the good things about using the refrigerator method is that you can keep the defrosted turkey in the refrigerator for a day until it's time to roast.

Cold Water Thawing

If you need to thaw your turkey faster, use the cold water method. Immerse your packaged turkey (make sure there are no tears in the packaging) in ice-cold water. It is recommended that you change the water every 30 minutes to keep it cold and allow about 30 minutes of thawing time per pound of turkey.

8 to 12 pounds: 4 to 6 hours
12 to 16 pounds: 6 to 8 hours
16 to 20 pounds: 8 to 10 hours
20 to 24 pounds: 10 to 12 hours

If you use the cold water method, you should cook your turkey as soon as it is thawed.

Turkey Veggie Chili

Bloghungry can't seem to stick to healthy cooking without structure. So I am offically on Weight Watchers recipes at least until I drop 20 lbs. Here is the first of many explorations into the Weight Watchers recipe archives. This chili is light and satisfying with great texture. Overall it's a pretty solid recipe for turkey chili.

Turkey Veggie Chili

10 oz. ground turkey
1 medium onion diced
2 -- 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes
2 medium zucchini
2 medium yellow squash
1 -- 15 oz. can of black beans (drained)
4 stalks diced celery
2 green peppers or 1 sm can of white corn
1 package of dry chili seasoning mix

Sauté turkey with onion & celery with chili seasoning. Then add all other ingredients. Simmer in a large pot for 20-30 minutes. 14 servings / 1 point

Turkey Ala King

While visiting a gay porn promotional event for Hot House's new release Justice last month, I picked up a recipe for leftover turkey from leading man Shane Rollins. Shane said that it was his favorite way to eat turkey after the holidays and gave me a quick rundown of the recipe while signing autographs at the event. This is classic suburban housewife and can easily be made with precooked chicken instead of turkey.

Turkey Ala King

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cups water
1 tsp. chicken bouillon (instant)
2 cups cut-up cooked turkey
1 small pkg. frozen peas, thawed
1/2 c. cooked celery
1/2 c. cooked onion
1 c. milk
egg noodles

Cook egg noodles according to package instructions. Heat butter in 2 quart saucepan until melted. Stir in flour, salt and pepper, stirring constantly until smooth and bubbly. Stir in water, milk and bouillon. Heat to boiling. Add peas, chicken, celery and onions. Serve over egg noodles.

Bloghungry's Turkey and Gravy

So it's time to start posting Thanksgiving recipes again and I decided to start with my turkey. I posted this same recipe last year, but it was so moist and full of flavor that I decided to make it again this year. The brine can be a little frightening your first time, but it's actually very simple and is completely worth the process.

Bay and Lemon Brined Turkey

1 (12 to 15-pound) turkey

For the brine:
2 gallons water
1 cup sugar
1 cup kosher salt
2 lemons, sliced in 1/2
4 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
Small handful cloves
Combine all brine ingredients in a container or pot large enough to hold the turkey. Make sure all the sugar and salt have been fully dissolved. Add the turkey and refrigerate about 6 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove turkey from brine and transfer to a roasting pan with a rack. Stuff turkey with the lemon halves, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks used in the brine. Cook turkey for about 3 1/2 hours, basting every 40 minutes or so. If any part of the turkey gets too brown towards the end of cooking, shield with pieces of tin foil. When the turkey is done, juices should run clear from the breast and the legs should pull away from the bird easily. Remove from the heat and let rest for 15 to 20 minutes before carving.

Easy Turkey Gravy

1 Tbsp. turkey drippings
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups turkey or chicken broth (boxed)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the tablespoon of turkey fat in a saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, mix in flour, which will gather into a soft ball with the fat. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture is fluffy and looks moist, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup broth/purée until mixture is smooth. Add remaining purée. Bring gravy to a boil, then immediately remove from heat. Season gravy with salt and pepper to taste. Pour gravy into a gravy boat.