Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta

I'm in the middle of what I like to call a "love affair with feta". It's all I want to eat, cook with, read about, etc. So when I was trying to figure out what to make Husband and some friends for dinner, this jumped out at me-- Giada's Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and FETA (yippee!). Done and done.

Now for all you meatloaf-haters out there (you know who you are, *cough* Heather), let me say this--this is NOT your momma's ketchup covered hunk 'o mystery meat. This is the good stuff. Gourmet meatloaf, if you will (who knew there was such a thing?). It's suprisingly moist (I say "surprising" because turkey is so much leaner and therefore, more likely to get dry) and full of flavor. I honestly felt like I could taste the Mediterranean...the tangy feta and sun-dried tomatoes came together beautifully. Not the most photogenic meal, but really, sometimes food tastes better than it looks. Not always...but sometimes.

Turkey Meatload with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Feta
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped garlic and herb-marinated sun-dried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced, optional
2 eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons whole milk (I used Skim because that's what I had and it worked fine!)
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, stir together the bread crumbs, parsley, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, if using, eggs, milk, feta, salt, and pepper. Add the turkey and gently stir to combine, being careful not to overwork the meat.

Carefully pack the meat mixture into the prepared pan and bake until the internal temperature registers 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and slice. Put on a serving platter and serve.

*Pairs well with smashed baby new potatoes.