Ree Drummond took the classic meatloaf recipe and added turkey instead of ground beef and oatmeal instead of bread. pioneer However, Star did not stint on the taste and even added a little bacon.
Ree Drummond swapped meatloaf for oatmeal
Drummond made a mini, lighter version of meatloaf for her birthday in the episode pioneer. “As a treat, I update some of my favorite recipes and check them out on social media,” she explained. “I make mini turkey meatballs. A completely modern take on a comfort classic.”
Drummond remarked, “Another year, another birthday. And to celebrate, I’m going to be making lighter versions of some of my most classic and cherished recipes.”
pioneer the star shared her simple tips for a lighter version of the traditional dish. “Now my meatloaf has always been pretty legendary for those who love meatloaf,” the Food Network host said. “But I’m going to make mine lighter by substituting the turkey and ditching the bun. I’m going to use oatmeal instead of the white bread I usually use.”
He began by soaking traditional oatmeal in milk to soften it before adding it to the meatloaf mix. “I usually use half a loaf of white bread with meatloaf,” she explained. “I think oatmeal is a little better.”
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Drummond substituted turkey for the beef, but left the bacon in the mix.
Drummond also shared that ground turkey is a great lean meatloaf option. “You know, I use ground turkey more and more. I don’t mean disrespectful to my family of farmers – I love ground beef,” he said. “But it’s good to eat minced turkey, especially in a dish like meatloaf where there are so many other flavors.”
He added seasoned salt, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, ketchup, parsley, soaked oatmeal, and chopped bacon bits to the meat. “Usually when I make my big beef pie, I wrap it in bacon,” Drummond said.
“I’m still going to add bacon to the turkey meatballs, but I’m going to sprinkle it in small pieces and mix it into the meat mixture,” he added.
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The Pioneer star had the perfect meatloaf tool
Drummond stirred the meatloaf with his hands, then spooned the meat into the muffin tins.
“This is the best way to get the perfect size meatballs,” the Food Network star said. He covered each mini meatloaf in tomato sauce and baked them in the oven at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.
She took them out of the oven, added more ketchup to each roll, spread it out with a spoon, and then baked the mini rolls for another 30 minutes.
Drummond shared that “little meat patties are great food to freeze” and explained his process of freezing and reheating the dish. She instantly freezes chilled meatballs for an hour, then seals them in an airtight freezer bag and places them in the freezer. When she’s ready to eat the meatloaf, she reheats it for a few minutes in the microwave.
The full recipe is available on the Food Network website.
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