Menus and Meatloaf

Most every morning, I take a look at my posted menu and pull that item from the freezer so that it can defrost throughout the day.  Often, I've looked at the menu the previous evening just in case an item needs an overnight thaw, such as a whole chicken or roast that will be cooked in the crock-pot the next day.  However, I didn't do that on Sunday.  I got home very late from our Sunday lunch out, and so at 3:00 p.m. I looked at the menu and  croaked.  I hadn't defrosted the crock-pot meal, and so perused the menu for a quick-cook item.  I chose meatloaf. 

Usually, I'd defrost this all day before baking for 1 hour.  But today, I only had two hours until dinnertime, so I got to try an experiment: how fast can my convection oven bake a frozen meatloaf?  The answer is "just under 2 hours." 

This Cheddar Meatloaf is a nice change of pace and taste.  I've learned to bake it with the foil over it to prevent burning.

In a large bowl mix the following together:
1 egg
3/4 C milk
1 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 C quick cooking oats (I've used old-fashioned oats with success)
1/2 C chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 C ketchup
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

Shape mixture into a loaf and place in a greased bread/loaf pan. 

To enjoy later:  freeze in the loaf pan.  Defrost and follow directions below. 

To enjoy tonight:  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees F or for about 45-50 minutes in a convection oven at 325 degrees F.  Either way, a meat thermometer should read 180 degrees F when completely baked.

Not the best photo, but the loaf was delicious!