Meatloaf Monday... With Cheesy Toasted Onion Mashed Potatoes

Two posts in one day... I'm on a roll!  Tonight I am making meatloaf... done Natalie style.  I use ground turkey and lots of deliciousness to make this one tasty loaf.  This is a huge hit with the family, especially the hubby, it's his favorite meal.  I am also making cheesy toasted onion mashed potatoes.  I'm cheating on the veggies, I'm just warming up a SteamFresh bag of veggies.  :-)

Here's the recipe:

Meatloaf

Ingredients:
2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of bread crumbs Italian style
1/2 quick oats
1 package toasted onion soup mix & dip mix
1/2 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves,  minced
3 large eggs
6 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
6 tsp spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 cups ketchup
Cooking Spray

Directions:
1.  Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Warm a medium skillet and spray with nonstick cooking oil.  Once warm, add your onion and garlic and saute until tender.  Remove from heat.
3.  Prep your baking dish before mixing ingredients together.  Use a 13x9 baking pan and line with foil.  Spray foil with nonstick cooking oil.
4.  In a large mixing bowl, combined all ingredients, but reserve 1/2 cup of ketchup and 2 tsp of spicy brown mustard (this will go on top of the meatloaf).  Add the sauteed garlic and onions to mixing bowl as well.  Combined all ingredients well with your hands.  Transfer meat mixture to baking dish and shape into a loaf shape.  Top with remaining ketchup and spicy brown mustard.
5.  Line the top of dish with foil and bake about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  Juices should be bubbling.

Cheesy Toasted Onion Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
6 large russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 tbsp butter
1 cup milk (or heavy cream)
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 package toasted onion soup mix & dip mix

Directions:
1.  Place potatoes into a large pot, cover potatoes with water and boil over a medium-high heat until potatoes are tender.  Drain and return to pot.
2.  Add butter and milk and mix well with a potato masher until potatoes are mashed well.
3.  Add toasted onion dip mix and cheese.  Mix well. 

Side Notes:
1.  I like to saute the garlic and onions before adding them to the meat because they have a better flavor, and the onions don't always cook fully in the oven if they are raw.  I don't like crunchy raw onions in my meatloaf.
2.  Potatoes will be a little sticky because of the cheese.  If you like creamier potatoes, add more butter and milk until you've reached your desired texture.
3.  I use ground turkey, but you could use 2 pounds of ground beef if you prefer.
4.  If you are not cooking for as many big eaters as I do, you can reduce all the ingredients in half and make a smaller meatloaf.  Cooking time would be about an hour.
5.  If you have left over meatloaf, it makes an excellent sandwich the next day!  Sourdough bread and mozzarella melted on top, it's a perfect way to do lunch!

I hope you enjoy the meatloaf and mashed potatoes as much as we do!