Turkey-Mozzarella Meatloaf

O hai, gentle reader ... I GOT A JOB!

Let’s forget all those things I said about the C train. I’m not saying they weren’t valid, because they were. But the important thing is that the C stands for Commuting, as in, TO A JOB. THAT I HAVE. I have had it for a few weeks now, which you may have noticed coincides with my abrupt dropoff in posting frequency. PRIORITIES, PEOPLE.

So, I'm still committed to home cooking as often as possible, but now when it comes to preparing meals, I just have to be a little more, well, prepared. My newfound obsession with the slow cooker should serve me well—as should my long-standing propensity for getting dishes ready the night before cooking them.

To wit: On the first Monday night of my official gainful employment—as in, WITH A JOB, THAT I HAVE—I prepared my man a Tuesday lunch of roast beef and Swiss cheese on a bulkie roll with zucchini pickles; a bag of chips; and a can of Red Bull (I know, gross; we've already gone over this, gentle reader). I also prepared my own Tuesday lunch of leftover carrot bisque and a tortilla wrap with roast beef, iceberg lettuce, and horseradish mayo. I can make my own iced tea at work, because they have tea. And ice. Living the dream!

While I heated up the last of the leftover pork ramen to have that for my Monday dinner (OMG IT WAS STILL SO GOOD OMFG I WANT TO MAKE IT ALL THE TIME), I combined a mixture of: 1 lb. ground turkey; 2 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed; 4 oz. mushrooms and ½ red pepper, diced; 5 crumbled saltine crackers; 2 TBSP Worcestershire sauce; 2 packets of ketchup; garlic powder, and kosher salt.

I kneaded this all together, patted it down into a loaf pan, and left it in the fridge overnight. (You could also skip the saltines and form it into burger patties and fry them.) Tuesday, I covered it with mozzarella cheese and cooked it in a 400° oven for 30 minutes until it was gooey and bubbly, accompanied by some farfalle (bow tie) noodles with broccoli and olive oil, for a hearty yet healthy and easy meal.

Funemployment, I have officially bidden you farewell, and welcomed the Year of the Rooster, which arrived with glad tidings of fun and employment! And also meatloaf.