NCKAA: 27 Days Until Christmas

Ok ex-pats ... do you have access to cranberries and ground turkey? If so, then you can totally make a quick and easy Thanksgiving dinner thanks to this recipe! I hope you're enjoying Natalie's Christmas Kitchen Advent Adventure as much as I am!

Thanksgiving Meatloaf

2 pieces low-calorie bread, toasted and cut into 1-inch squares
1/2 cup nonfat milk
1/4 c egg substitute
1 c celery, finely chopped
1 small onion, diced
1/4 cup dried cranberries* (13 calories)
3 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, divided
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce* (~50 calories)
1/2 cup ketchup
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

In a large bowl, combine toast cubes and milk. Let stand for 10 minutes; break up bread cubes with a fork. Stir in the egg substitute, celery, onion, and cranberries. Add half the rosemary. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Pat into an ungreased 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 25 minutes; drain if necessary. Combine the cranberry sauce, ketchup, pepper sauce and remaining rosemary; spread over meat loaf. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until no pink remains and a meat thermometer reads 165°.

*My dried cranberries are homemade, using Splenda. I used them in my cranberry sauce as well. If you use store-bought craisins, this will change the nutrition information for both the dried cranberries and the cranberry sauce. I included the calories for these ingredients next to them. That way you can subtract my numbers and enter your own if you use ingredients with more calories.

This recipe is adapted from a Taste of Home recipe.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Info: Amount Per Serving: Calories: 179.2; Total Fat: 5.6 g; Cholesterol: 53.8 mg; Sodium: 387.8 mg; Total Carbs: 14.5 g; Dietary Fiber: 2.4 g; Protein: 18.2 g.

I served this tonight with baked sweet potatoes and green beans. For dessert, I made a banana pumpkin custard. Since Mom was in town, it was the best Thanksgiving dinner ever!

Making this reminded me of many make-shift holidays meals from my past. My first Thanksgiving in college was spent home alone while all the roommates went to see friends and family so I made a Turkey Pot Pie and watched football. The first Thanksgiving I spent with my ex away from our families - we made turkey drumsticks and boxed stuffing. The first Christmas Kevin and I celebrated together involved him working. An hour before he got done I decided to go ahead and cook something "fancy." The only store open to buy the fixin's was 7-11. Can it be called fancy when dessert is a fried gas station pie and turkey from a Lunchable?