Most of my cooking in Florida is a combination of farmers’ market produce and supermarket main courses.  The array of product at my local Publix market consists of many national brands that I don’t normally find at the smaller specialty markets at which I shop througout the rest of the year.  Today, my meatloaf consists of both ground turkey and turkey sausage, removed from its casing.

It seems that most companies are working hard to remove the fat from ground turkey, so the addition of turkey sausage is necessary to give the loaf additional texture and fat, without using a non-turkey product, like pork or bacon.

Since I don’t have my large bowl of stale bread pieces for making crumbs, I’m using seasoned panko crumbs.

These crumbs offer a nice, salty bite.  In addition to sauteed onion and celery, I’ve added freshly chopped parsley and chives, to add a fresh,  green component.  Some milk or half-and-half, plus eggs to bind, were all that was necessary to turn this into an absolutely delicious meatloaf.

In addition to the meatloaf, we’re having savoy cabbage (blanched, then reheated in butter), carrots (blanched, then scattered around the meatloaf and roasted for the last half-hour of baking time), plus leek-smashed potatoes.

Leeks are sauteed in butter, then combined with the seasoned and buttered smashed potatoes–a delicious way to lighten up mashed potatoes.

Supermarket Turkey Meatloaf

serves 4, with leftovers

1 1/4 lb. of lean ground turkey

1 1/4 lb sweet turkey sausage, removed from its casing

3 ribs celery, peeled (if stringy)

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 tbls butter

1 box pepperidge farm seasoned panko crumbs

3 tbls freshly chopped parsley

2 tbls freshly chopped chives

3 large eggs

1/2 c half-and-half or whole milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 bag peeled carrot sticks, blanched in salted boiling water for approximately 5 minutes.

1 tsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place butter in a skillet, along with onions and celery.  Bring to a sizzle and saute on low heat for about 10 minutes, or until softened, but not caramelized.  Add chives and saute another minute.

Place mixture in a large mixing bowl and allow to cool to room temperature before proceeding.

Add the remainder of ingredients (except carrots) to the mixing bowl and blend with hands, until mixture is uniformly combined.

Form into a loaf and allow to rest for at least 15 minutes,or  up to 2 hours (in the fridge).

Place in oven and roast, uncovered, for approximately 45 minutes.  Drizzle carrots with olive oil and scatter around meatloaf.

Allow meatloaf to cook for an additional 35 – 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 160 – 165 degrees.

Allow to rest for 10 – 15 minutes before carving.