Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Kale and Fingerling Potatoes

This is a standard weeknight dinner for us. It isn't especially pretty, but it's tasty. It is also easy enough, and is ready in about an hour total, so if you get everything prepped/etc in the morning or night before, you can be eating dinner about 45 minutes after walking in the door. Since it includes three separate items- a protein, a green veggie, and a starch, it feels a bit old fashioned, but you get full credit for preparing a square meal on a weeknight. Look at you!

The real time-saving trick to this meal is using the oven pre-heating time to pre-bake your potatoes. 

Turkey Meatloaf with Roasted Kale and Fingerling Potatoes.

1. First, prep the fingerling potatoes-figure 3-4 per person- wash them well and put them in an oven safe dish (I use a cast-iron pan). Toss with a tablespoon of Olive Oil, a diced shallot (or onion or garlic) and a sprinkle of salt.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put potatoes in oven while oven heats.

3. Next, make the turkey meatloaf. In a small bowl, combine:

1 pound ground turkey (I tend to get a mix of dark and white meat, but any kind works)
1 diced onion
1 shredded carrot
1 egg
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
optional: a few leaves finely chopped fresh sage, chopped fresh rosemary if you have them. otherwise: sprinkle of dried rosemary, sage, paprika, any herbs or spices that call to you.
also optional: 2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese-- adds excellent moisture and seasoning/texture to the turkey.

Mix the ingredients together in the bowl and form into meatloaf. Place into lightly oiled baking dish.

4. While that's cooking- prep the kale. Wash, dry, and de-stem a good sized bunch of kale and roughly chop. After  potatoes and meatloaf have been in oven for 35 minutes, carefully remove the hot pan with the potatoes from the oven and add the kale to the dish. (if you are lazy like me and don't dry your greens, the water will really splatter when it hits the hot oil...so throw the kale in and then jump back fast!) Toss the Kale in with the potatoes/onion and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.

5. After 45 minutes, check to make sure the meatloaf is fully cooked by cutting partway in and checking that there is no pink on the inside (poultry, alas, really should not be consumed rare in these parts)

6. Slice meatloaf, pair with the roasted potatoes/kale, and serve! (as in photo, we tend to eat this with Sriracha on the side)

 Variation: "Southwest" Turkey Meatloaf-- change out a diced pepper for the carrot and add 1/3 cup of your favorite salsa and a chopped scallion to the meatloaf mix instead of the herbs/spices. Enjoy!