Heather joins us with another post in her series Aldi-licious here at Simply Frugal Living. Heather’s recipes feature ingredients purchased exclusively from Aldi!

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Meatloaf is often thought of as comfort food and this meatloaf, made with ground turkey, is perfect for this festive time of year! It combines all the delicious flavors of the holidays without as much work, or expense!

Pilgrim Meatloaf
adapted from a recipe by Rachael Ray

3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 to 3 small stalks celery, finely chopped
1 small apple, peeled and chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups cubed seasoned cornbread or traditional stuffing cubes (you can also use cubed gluten free bread!)
1 to 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup dried sweetened cranberries
2 pounds of ground turkey (Aldi sells ground turkey in containers slightly larger than 1 pound — I just used two Aldi containers)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 400F. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the thyme, celery, apple, onion, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until tender, about 7 or 8 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the dried cranberries.

Pulse the stuffing cubes in a food processor or blender until crumbs form, then transfer to a bowl and moisten with the chicken stock to soften.

Put the turkey in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the stuffing crumbs, onion and celery mixture, cheese, herbs, and egg and mix gently to combine.

On a parchment or foil lined baking sheet, form the turkey mixture into a loaf that is 10 inches long and 4 inches high. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until golden and cooked through, about 50 to 60 minutes.

Slice the meatloaf and serve with Gravy and Cranberry Sauce.

Gravy:

3 Tbsp. butter
2 rounded Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken or turkey stock
1/2 cup apple juice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper

Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, whisking for 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock, apple juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the gravy is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Transfer to a serving dish.

 

This recipe serves 8-10.

See all the recipes in the Aldi-licious series here!

Heather joins us with another post in her series Aldi-licious here at Simply Frugal Living. Heather’s recipes feature ingredients purchased exclusively from Aldi!

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Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup is ideal for this time of year when the weather makes us crave warm comfort food like soup. The addition of pumpkin to black beans takes this to a whole new level and makes for a very festive dinner.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Soup

(adapted from Once Upon a Tart)

1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 Tbsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 can black beans, drained and rinsed

Saute onion and garlic in the olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat, stirring frequently until the onion softens, about 5-10 minutes. Lower heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 10 more minutes.

Add the tomatoes, cumin, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pepper to the soup pot. Pour in the stock, pumpkin, vinegar, and beans.

Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to develop.

Remove the soup from the heat and puree, leaving just a little bit of texture. Serve with sour cream and chopped cilantro (optional).

Serves 6.

 

See all the recipes in the Aldi-licious series here!