An Ultimate Meatloaf Sandwich

Even though meatloaf probably wouldn’t make an appearance in my list of favorite meals, for some reason a day-after meatloaf sandwich is a whole ‘nother story. Is that weird? There are certain things that just taste even better as leftovers (almost any soup, especially chili) and leftover meatloaf in the form of a sandwich is, in my opinion, one of these blessed foods.

The meatloaf is made with extra-lean ground turkey and flavored with some classic savory items: garlic, onions, tomato paste, worcestershire sauce, and thyme. Chopped arugula and parsley are tossed into the mixture to add some freshness and color. Topped with ketchup and baked to perfection, you’ll soon be wondering how you’ve forgotten about the humble little meatloaf.

But you will forget about the humble little meatloaf…until you’re hungry again on a Tuesday night with no will to cook. That’s when it’ll come to you. You’ll build an ultimate meatloaf sandwich, on fresh bread, topped with fresh arugula, and smothered in an obscene amount of ketchup (because no one will be looking). And after your first bite, you’ll swear you won’t forget about meatloaf again.

Disclaimer: Part of what made this sandwich ultimate was the bread. Building this sandwich on homemade bread with a rosemary-salt crust is highly recommended. Consider making the bread and meatloaf over a weekend so you can build these 5-minute sandwiches any night of the week.

What you need:

• extra virgin olive oil
• white or yellow onion (1 large or 2 small)
• garlic
• fresh thyme
• tomato paste
• ketchup
• worcestershire sauce
• milk
• bread crumbs
• egg (1)
• fresh parsley
• arugula
• extra lean ground turkey
• salt & pepper
• homemade or good quality bread

What you do:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 1-2 T olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add 1 large onion and 2-3 cloves garlic, each finely chopped. Season with salt and pepper and add several sprigs worth of fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped. Saute about 10 min or until onions are softened and translucent.
• Add 1 heaping T each of tomato paste and ketchup to the onion mixture. Add 1 1/2 t worcestershire sauce and stir to combine. Set aside to allow the onion mixture to cool.
• In a large bowl, combine 1/3 c milk and 1/2 c bread crumbs and allow to sit for a few minutes. Add 1 egg, a handful of fresh parsley leaves (roughly chopped) and a handful of arugula (roughly chopped). Stir to combine, then add the cooled onion mixture and 1 package extra lean ground turkey. Add a good pinch each of salt and pepper, and combine the mixture using either a fork or your hands.
• Add the mixture to a loaf pan and press it down to form a solid loaf. (Alternatively, you can form the mixture into a loaf shape in a larger baking dish or on a baking sheet.) Spread 2 T ketchup evenly over the top.
• Bake for 60-65 min. Let sit at least 5 min before slicing.
• After being stored in the refrigerator, the meatloaf will be much easier to slice. Build your sandwich using good-quality bread, fresh arugula and extra ketchup. Enjoy hot or cold, depending on your preference.

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