Green Olive Pesto Greek Meatloaf

On Monday I was using the new mandolin given to me for Christmas.  While I'm slicing up the fennel, I'm thinking to myself how awful it would be if I sliced my finger off with this thing... then I did just that.

My fiance had to leave work and take me to the Urgent Care.  I'm fine.  I still have all my digits, but it was a pretty good cut.  Let's just say if I wanted I could rob a bank with this finger, because my fingerprint it gone.

The point of telling you all this is that I ended up with a fridge full of ingredients to make my favorite Greek salad with green olive and lemon dressing.  Once my finger began to heal, I decided to change the direction of the recipe into a meatloaf.

This is my Green Olive Pesto Greek Meatloaf...

 

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I used fresh fennel, green apples, celery, onions, garlic, and oregano.   You make it just like you do any meatloaf.  The flavor profile is changed a little.  Plus I used ground turkey.

Then for the sauce I made a green olive pesto.  It's a salty bite that gives the sweetness in the meat from the apple and fennel a nice contrast.  It's really YUMMY!

Green Olive Pesto Greek Meatloaf

 

Meatloaf:

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 fennel bulb chopped

4 celery stalks chopped

2 carrot stalks chopped

2 green apples pealed, cored, and chopped

1/2 cup chopped green olives

1 lemon juiced

1 tbs. oregano

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 egg

1 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh parsley

 

Green Olive Pesto:

1 cup green olives

1 cup fresh parsley

1 lemon

1 tbsp. wheat flour

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2.  In a large saute pan over medium heat cook the onions, fennel, celery, carrots, and apples until tender. Add the garlic and saute one minute more.  Add the juice of the lemon and continue to saute for 2 minutes. Add this mixture to a large bowl.

3.  Add the remaining meatloaf ingredients and combine making sure not to over mix.  On a greased sheet pan arrange the meatloaf in one layer.  Press down with your hands to get out all of the air.  Then shape into a loaf.  Pour a little olive oil on top.  Bake 40 - 50 minutes.

4. While the meatloaf is baking prepare the green olive pesto.  Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until combined.  It will have a little bit of a chunky texture to it.

5. Top the green olive pesto on the meatloaf at the 20 minute cooking mark.  Continue to cook for an additional 20- 25 minutes.

6. Let the meatloaf rest for a few minutes before serving.

 Like my Facebook for more recipes==> DeAnna Lee