Tyler Florence Family Meal: Book Review Featuring Tolan's Glazed Turkey Meatloaf
There are a lot of “celebrity chefs” who I admire…their recipes inspire me to flex my culinary muscles and try new foods and cooking styles. They also feed my cookbook addiction. One of my favorite chefs is Tyler Florence...his demeanor on his TV shows is always so friendly and approachable. He’s rarely steered me wrong. In fact, Tyler's Ultimate is one of my go-to cookbooks! Rodale Press graciously sent me a copy of Tyler’s latest cookbook, Tyler Florence Family Meal, to review and test some of the recipes. If you have any of his cookbooks in your collection, you know that his books are written in a very down-to-earth manner. This book is no exception. The recipes featured run the gamut from simple homestyle food to more upscale items that are featured in his restaurants.
The concept of the “family” meal is explored in all its iterations: meals he serves his family at home, foods that are served at potlucks and dinners he hosts for friends and family, and foods that are served at his family of restaurants. There’s a bit of something for everyone here. One thing that I loved about the book is that Tyler proves he’s no snob when it comes to food. A family coconut cake recipe that he shares starts with a cake mix, making it less intimidating for someone like me who can be a bit baking-challenged. He even has a recipe for Chile Relleno Rice that uses cream of chicken soup as part of the base!
I don’t know about you, but I really admire a professional chef who’s well-versed in the classics like Beef Bourguignon but can still whip up a simple rice dish for a potluck! Simply put: Tyler gets it! Sometimes home cooks want to pull out all the stops to make a Wow Meal...but sometimes they want to whip up something fast without sacrificing flavor in the process. I appreciate a chef who doesn’t look down their nose at incorporating a few convenience products now and then.
So many of the recipes in the book caught my eye. Especially his Waffle French Toast with Warm Berry Compote, Apple Brown Betty with Ice Cream, and Salt-and-Pepper Chicken Wings. When it came time to pick one recipe to spotlight for this post, I went with a comfort classic: meatloaf. Tyler includes a killer recipe for his wife Tolan’s meatloaf. It’s a glazed turkey meatloaf flavored with sautéed onion and crispy pieces of bacon. Do I have your attention? Good...because this meatloaf is off-the-hook good!!
The concept of the “family” meal is explored in all its iterations: meals he serves his family at home, foods that are served at potlucks and dinners he hosts for friends and family, and foods that are served at his family of restaurants. There’s a bit of something for everyone here. One thing that I loved about the book is that Tyler proves he’s no snob when it comes to food. A family coconut cake recipe that he shares starts with a cake mix, making it less intimidating for someone like me who can be a bit baking-challenged. He even has a recipe for Chile Relleno Rice that uses cream of chicken soup as part of the base!
I don’t know about you, but I really admire a professional chef who’s well-versed in the classics like Beef Bourguignon but can still whip up a simple rice dish for a potluck! Simply put: Tyler gets it! Sometimes home cooks want to pull out all the stops to make a Wow Meal...but sometimes they want to whip up something fast without sacrificing flavor in the process. I appreciate a chef who doesn’t look down their nose at incorporating a few convenience products now and then.
So many of the recipes in the book caught my eye. Especially his Waffle French Toast with Warm Berry Compote, Apple Brown Betty with Ice Cream, and Salt-and-Pepper Chicken Wings. When it came time to pick one recipe to spotlight for this post, I went with a comfort classic: meatloaf. Tyler includes a killer recipe for his wife Tolan’s meatloaf. It’s a glazed turkey meatloaf flavored with sautéed onion and crispy pieces of bacon. Do I have your attention? Good...because this meatloaf is off-the-hook good!!
Tolan's Glazed Turkey Meatloaf
from Tyler Florence Family Meal
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350. Combine 1 slice bread (torn in pieces) and 1 cup whole milk in a measuring cup. Set aside for a few minutes. Meanwhile, add 1/2 diced yellow onion, 1 minced clove garlic, and 1/2 cup diced thick-cut bacon to a small skillet. Saute over medium heat for 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
Step 2: Add the following ingredients to a large mixing bowl: 1 lb. ground turkey breast, the sauteed onion-bacon mixture, the milk-soaked bread (discard the extra milk), 1 large egg, 1.5 tbs. ketchup, 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce, and 1 tbs. salt.
Mix well to combine -- clean hands are PERFECT for this! Shape the mixture into an oblong mound on a non-stick baking dish or on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.
Step 3: Make the glaze by combining the following ingredients in a small saucepan: 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup Dijon mustard, and 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
Step 4: Spoon or brush the glaze on top of the meatloaf, letting it go down the sides.
Bake the meatloaf for about 1 hour, until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Let the meatloaf rest for 15-20 minutes before slicing, to let the juices redistribute.
This meatloaf is full of flavor and moist, and the kitchen smells wonderful while it cooks! I served it with organic corn on the cob and roasted spiced baby potatoes. The only deviation I made from Tyler's orginal recipe was to leave off the strips of bacon that he wrapped on top of the meatloaf before adding the glaze and cooking. I only had enough bacon in the fridge for what went into the actual loaf! I also halved the original recipe since it's just two of us a Casa Garcia. I hope you'll give this meatloaf a try and that you'll add Tyler Florence Family Meal to your Christmas Wish List!!
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