Turkey Meatloaf with Tangy Pineapple Glaze

I am visiting my dad this week and of course I wanted to check out what he has in his cupboards and come up with something for dinner. After exploring his freezer, fridge and cabinets I found turkey burgers, hamburger buns that needed to be used and an array of condiments that could last a family of four at least 3 years. I decided to make turkey meatloaf with a tangy pineapple glaze. It is savory, sweet, zesty, and best of all... comforting.

What I have learned from making meatloaf is that it doesn't matter what you put in, it matters the ratio of meat to egg to bread crumbs. Not enough egg and it will be dry and crumbly, too many bread crumbs will also leave it dry, too much meat and you might as well just make hamburgers. Go by feel, trust your gut, and take no prisoners. It is just meatloaf.

Start by toasting two buns in the oven on low, around 250 degrees Fahrenheit, until they are dry, dry, dry.
In the meantime, gather your fillings. I used ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, grated Parmesan cheese, black pepper, garlic salt, dried parsley, bbq sauce, and a packet of dry onion soup mix (or some other random packet of spices will work). Mix all of these fillings in a SEPARATE BOWL from the turkey and bread. This way, you can taste your mixture before you add it to the raw turkey and egg. Once was all said and done, I had 1/2 cup of filling. Get creative with this, use what you have. Like ranch? Put it in. Horseradish? Go for it. Worcestershire? Be my guest. Taste it and make it how you want because this is what your meatloaf will taste like. Once you nailed it, put it aside.

In another bowl, combine the turkey patties, 1 egg, and crumble in your nicely toasted buns. Mix just to combine then add your filling. Mix once more making sure everything is evenly distributed. This is when you should go by feel to tell if your mixture is proportional. It shouldn't be so wet that it coats your hand, but not too dry that all you feel are dry bread crumbs. It should be able to hold its shape and be able to form easily.

...like this...

...or this...

Place the mixture in a well greased loaf pan and form to make what you think meatloaf should look like. Something like the picture below...

 If I am serving this at a dinner party, I like to use individual loaf pans so everyone can have their own.

Set aside to let rest.

For the glaze, combine 2 tablespoons Apricot- Pineapple preserves, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon ketchup and a dash of your favorite hot sauce. Whisk together and you have your glaze! 

Generously spoon the glaze over the top and down the sides of the meatloaf and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 hours. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!