Ingredients:
2 lbs ground turkey thighs
8 oz apple butter
1 egg, beaten
2/3-3/4 cup matzo meal
1 shallot, grated
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon allspice
salt
pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, mix together the turkey, egg, matzo meal, shallot, spices and 2 tablespoons of the apple butter. Form into a loaf. Place in a loaf pan (or, preferably, a meatloaf pan). Brush the top with the remaining apple butter. Bake for 30 minutes or until fully cooked. Wait a few minutes before slicing.
My thoughts:
I always get a lot of questions about how to use apple butter once you’ve made your own or bought a jar. Honestly, most of the time we just have it on sandwiches but I did make a great cheesecake with it once and a really yummy, versatile barbecue sauce. This year I thought I’d try something even more savory and thought it would pair wonderfully with turkey. I knew it was going to be a winner when even the raw meat mixture smelled really, really good. It is a moist but not crumbly meatloaf thanks to the turkey thighs and apple butter glaze that helped seal in the the juices. I hate dried out meatloaf! The leftovers make awesome sandwiches. If you have any.