Bad Meatloaf...

Shuutnstar
Shuutnstar Posts: 46 Member
edited September 20 in Recipes
Hey Everybody,

I need a pep talk! I had a bad night last night... and by bad, I don't mean that I ate too much meatloaf... I mean, I worked really hard to make a good, more healthy meatloaf and I failed. I failed desparately. I am so not a cook. I mean, I have my staples which I can make with my eyes closed, but they definitley aren't healthy choices, so I have been trying to expand my knowledge base and trying to try new recipes.

I made a turkey meatloaf last night with veggies. It came out soft enough, nice firm crust, smelled WONDERFUL, cooked to the correct temp and everything... but It was extremely dry inside and... just YUCK! Neither myself or my honey could eat it without gagging.

I don't know exactly what I did wrong... but it was so discouraging! I actually started crying during dinner, and my poor boyfriend was like, "it's really... ::gag::... not bad." and he forced himself to eat a few more bites. Isn't he just the sweetest?

Because it took soooo long to prep and then to cook... it was too late to eat, and I was feeling to bad to eat anyway. So I had a tbslp of peanut better and went to bed.

Sorry for needing to vent, but has anyone else gone through this emotional upheaval? I have lost 9 pounds now and was so pysched all this week, but I haven't been COOKING. We've only been eating grilled this, or grilled that... and he is the grill master... not me. I feel like I am not contributing anymore and that kills me.

Any advice, comments, support would be greatly appreciated.

Replies

  • CasperO
    CasperO Posts: 2,913 Member
    It happens,,, don't sweat it.

    What did you season the meatloaf with? To me the ground turkey in a tube has a pretty unwholesome flavor and I have to make sure I hide it. I usually use it in soup or pasta sauce - both good and light.

    Props to BF - we've all done that too. My wife has done it for me too <almost gagging,,, "The texture is perfect :sick: :smile: :frown: ". Good job trying to do the right thing.
  • kdm9295
    kdm9295 Posts: 126 Member
    Don't give up. Try different recipes. You never know unless you try. Cooking can be very intimidating and disastrous, but it can also be very rewarding. Keep trying.

    I made a ground beef meatloaf the other night, which I've never had a problem with before, but I tried it with 97% fat free meat, and it was awful. Dry, very dry. I didn't allow for the difference with the less fat meat. Didn't even consider it would make a difference. I know now for next time.

    Remember what you didn't like about this one, and see what you can do to make it better next time.
    You'll get it.
  • jeterbeater
    jeterbeater Posts: 22
    Don't fee bad my husband and I tried making turkey burgers and they were so bad we ended up throwing them away and ordering a pizza. You tried that's what matters. You live and you learn, now you can try something else.
  • rgthomas
    rgthomas Posts: 7 Member
    Use lots of tomato or vegetable juice when you prepare it - that keeps it moist. Don't give up, the best cooks sometimes throw out what they have made. I have cooked for 43 years and I do!:ohwell:
  • kellygirl5538
    kellygirl5538 Posts: 597 Member
    I feel your pain. I cant cook either. Good thing my boyfriend can cook.
  • 8turboturtle8
    8turboturtle8 Posts: 239 Member
    I have also tried turkey meatloaf with no luck...I have tried many things with turkey...with no luck...I find it harder to flavor in addition to dryness/texture. So I stick to lean ground beef when I needed and whole pieces of turkey breast (not ground). Doesn't help that I am a terribly picky eater! I give you an A for effort!!! That is more than many people give (myself included).
  • AlyssasMommy
    AlyssasMommy Posts: 191
    I had the same thing happen with turkey burgers. I made burgers previously with ground turkey. Then I heard ground turkey breast was better for you. Disaster! :cry: :cry: I was so sad when I had to throw the whole meal away.
  • jlefton1212
    jlefton1212 Posts: 171 Member
    I posted this earlier, but for some reason I don't see it now....

    I have TOTALLY been in this situation!

    I found a recipe on cooking light that was for a healthier version of chicken tetrazinni. I slaved over it for literally 3 hours, and then it tasted like noodles with cream of mushroom soup. It was so bland -- and my husband HATES cream of mushroom soup! He tried to be nice, but it was a disaster.

    Also, once I had a rachel ray recipe that had a misprint. It was for a turkey shepards pie with sweet potato on top. She said her secret ingredient was to add banana to the sweet potato. I made it and the sweet potatoes tasted like banana candy...on top of ground turkey. It was so sad, because I had made a really beautiful gravy for the turkey part, but it all just got thrown out because it was so gross. I later saw that my recipe called for 1 banana, but in her magazine the same recipe said 1/3 of a banana.

    Those incidents shook my confidence in the kitchen, but I am not going to eat only processed food for the rest of my life, so I told myself I just had to get back up on my horse and keep trying! I have found that it can be really important to read the recipe reviews BEFORE hand, as I always just assumed that if was posted on a cooking website it must have been tried out and fabulous. Well, if I would have just read the reviews for the tetrazinni, I would have seen that people were saying it was bland and tasted like a can of campbell's cream of mushroom!!
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
    I'm definately not a very good cook.

    I saw a cooking show and the chef was using turkey and said to add things like onions, peppers along with some minced garlic chopped up into the ground turkey because it's so dry. I do this for my Turkey burgers (97% fat-free) and they are Delish. At least to me they are :laugh:
  • annlhughes
    annlhughes Posts: 10 Member
    meatloaf for 4

    1 pound ground turkey breast
    1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
    1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
    clover minced garlic
    1-1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
    1 egg, lightly beaten
    optional: 1/2 cup diced peppers or zuccini


    bake for about 45 mins at 350 - you may have to make alterations for your oven, mine is ancient! I think this makes a pretty good meatloaf and you can always top it with a little marinara sauce with lots of zuccini and veggies on the side.
  • Tri_Dad
    Tri_Dad Posts: 1,465
    Here is the link that my DW posted a few months ago. This is the single best meatloaf I have ever eaten, Turkey or otherwise. It does require a bit of preparation but it is Excellent. In fact, just had a meatloaf sandwich for dinner tonight with leftovers.

    Try it. I think you'll like it.

    :drinker:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/37857-weight-watchers-parmesan-turkey-meatloaf?hl=weight+watchers+turkey+meatloaf#posts-382672
  • Veronica320
    Veronica320 Posts: 139
    I know exactly how you feel. Dinner at our house has been more like a "Mad Scientist Experiment" since I began my new lifestyle. Disaster after disaster. Don't give up. I've just been thinking of it as a "Trial and Error" thing. Eventually you'll find a dish you both just love and add it to the rotation. Good luck!
  • msseusse
    msseusse Posts: 18 Member
    Try adding a little milk to the turkey meatloaf for moisture. I also remember a tip for making hamburgers moist was to put an ice cube in the middle of each one. It melts during the cooking process and keeps the meat from drying out. Good luck
  • msseusse
    msseusse Posts: 18 Member
    Where'd you get the recipe?
  • Deb1971
    Deb1971 Posts: 41 Member
    You can try adding some thawed chopped spinach to the turkey for moisture. We sometimes add homemade salsa to.:happy:
  • chrissyh
    chrissyh Posts: 8,235 Member
    Look up the Diner Meat load muffins in the recipes - they are SOOOOOO good. My kids hate meatloaf and love those - and they are perfectly portioned...I use the 93% ground beef....I don't like them with turkey
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