Ground turkey + leeks + manchego + apples = best meatloaf ever. I made a hybrid recipe inspired by Everyday Food’s Turkey Meatloaf with Fontina and Mushrooms, and my own meatloaf experiment with apples earlier this month. Plus, I substituted manchego for fontina, left out the garlic (didn’t have any!) and used one leek instead of two. Miraculously, the resulting meatloaf was my best yet – David and I were both impressed!

Here’s the skinny:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Saute sliced mushrooms in 1 tablespoon olive oil until golden brown; place in mixing bowl
• Saute sliced leeks in 1 tablespoon olive oil in same pan until soft; place with mushrooms in bowl to cool
• Meanwhile, grate 1 cup’s worth manchego cheddar (or fontina, gouda, etc.)
• Peel 3 small apples and grate until you have 1-2 cups
• To the bowl containing the mushrooms and leeks, add 1 lb. ground turkey, 1 egg, grated cheese and apple
• Mix by hand, or a potato masher is a good trick if you don’t want to get your hands dirty
• Form a 10×4 inch loaf in a pyrex dish; bake for 45 minutes and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes (Martha’s version uses parchment paper, but the apples make mine extra juicy so a dish is your best bet)

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