I realize this is definitely going to be published well after Turkey Day. But I made this a few years back in lieu of a full turkey and it was a huge hit. People love turkey on Thanksgiving, but if you’re like me and have a small group of friends then consuming an entire bird is an onerous task. This lets you get lots of great turkey flavor, and a lot of others, with much easier prep. The glazed bacon on the outside is a special treat too.
1 cup milk
1 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup ketchup
3 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbs preferred hot sauce (I use Sriracha)
1 small onion, diced
1 Package bacon
2 eggs
Various seasonings (go nuts here, I use garlic salt, lemon pepper, chili powder and cumin)
2 lbs ground turkey 85% lean
2 Tbs brown sugar
Splash apple cider vinegar
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dice and saute onions with two cut up strips of bacon. Mix milk, bread crumbs, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, onions and bacon, eggs, and the seasoning. stir to make a thick paste. Mix the meat in with you bare hands. Form into a loaf on a greased baking sheet, about the size of a football. Cover with bacon strips lengthwise to make cutting into it easier later. Dissolve brown sugar into vinegar with ketchup and brush on the outside, reserving half for later. Bake the loaf at 350 for 40 minutes. Check loafs internal temperature and reapply ketchup glaze. Bake about 10 more minutes checking temperature until it’s at least 140. Remove from over, let rest for 10 minutes, cut and serve, garnished with some chopped parsley
