Turkey Meatloaf

I've become quite skilled lately in the fine art of disguising vegetables so Isabella will eat them. Most baby books will tell you not to do this, because your toddler should learn to eat vegetables in their original state so she doesn't always expect green beans covered in cheese or broccoli bathed in yogurt. My thought is: better cauliflower chunks in her oatmeal than no cauliflower at all.

This recipe, adapted from "Mom's Meat Loaf" in Lisa Barnes' The Petit Appetit Cookbook: Easy Organic Recipes to Nurture Your Baby and Toddler allows you to bury vegetables to your heart's content. I added the vegetables listed, but you could add or substitute 1/4 cup of whatever ones your baby prefers (or you'd prefer him to eat).

I also made the meatloaf in two 12-cup muffin pans, instead of in the traditional loaf pan, because I found one "muffin" was the perfect serving size for dinner, with some leftovers for lunch the next day. Plus, they're easier to freeze this way, and you can defrost just one whenever you need to.


Ingredients

2 lbs ground turkey

1/4 cup diced carrot

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced red pepper

2 cage-free, organic eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

1 TBSP Worcestershire

2 TBSP freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease two muffin pans and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except turkey. Add the turkey, and mix with a rubber spatula or your hands until everything is evenly distributed.

3. Use an ice cream scoop to spoon meatloaf into muffin cups.

4. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Makes about 24 turkey meatloaf muffins.