Comforting Lemony Baked Chicken, Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Cornbread
Comforting Lemony Baked Chicken, Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Cornbread
Ingredients
For the Lemony Baked Chicken
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pats
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
For the Turkey Meatloaf
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey, lean
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, plain
- 1 egg, large
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup milk, warm
- 1/4 cup butter, unsalted, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
For the Cornbread
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg, large
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon for skillet
For Serving (Optional)
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed, steamed or roasted
- 1 pound carrots, peeled, chopped, roasted
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 400°F. For the Lemony Baked Chicken: In a large bowl, toss chicken pieces with olive oil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well coated. Set aside to marinate while preparing other components.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 400
- 2
For the Turkey Meatloaf: In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce; cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
⏱️ 10 min
- 3
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the cooled onion and sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly by hand until all ingredients are well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
⏱️ 10 min
- 4
For the Lemony Baked Chicken: Place lemon slices at the bottom of a red rectangular baking dish. Layer the thinly sliced onions over the lemons. Arrange the marinated chicken pieces on top of the onions and lemons. Dot the chicken with small pats of butter. Cover the baking dish with its lid or aluminum foil.
⏱️ 10 min
- 5
Place the covered chicken baking dish and the turkey meatloaf on separate racks in the preheated oven. Bake the chicken for 45 minutes and the meatloaf for 60-70 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. For the chicken, remove the lid for the last 15-20 minutes of baking to allow it to brown. For the meatloaf, it should be nicely browned with a caramelized crust.
⏱️ 70 min•🌡️ 400
- 6
While the chicken and meatloaf are baking, prepare the Mashed Potatoes: Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well.
⏱️ 25 min
- 7
Return the drained potatoes to the pot. Add warm milk, softened butter, salt, and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep warm.
⏱️ 10 min
- 8
For the Cornbread: While the chicken and meatloaf are finishing, preheat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (do not overmix).
⏱️ 10 min
- 9
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Pour the cornbread batter into the hot skillet. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
⏱️ 25 min•🌡️ 400
- 10
Once cooked, remove the cornbread from the oven. Let it cool slightly in the skillet before slicing. Remove the chicken and meatloaf from the oven. Let the meatloaf rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
⏱️ 10 min
- 11
Serve the lemony baked chicken and turkey meatloaf alongside creamy mashed potatoes and a slice of warm cornbread. Optionally, serve with steamed green beans and roasted carrots for a complete meal.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Comforting Lemony Baked Chicken, Turkey Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Cornbread
For the Lemony Baked Chicken
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 4 chicken thighs
- 1 lemon, sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pats
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
For the Turkey Meatloaf
- 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey, lean
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, plain
- 1 egg, large
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the Mashed Potatoes
- 2 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and quartered
- 1/2 cup milk, warm
- 1/4 cup butter, unsalted, softened
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
For the Cornbread
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 egg, large
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus 1 tablespoon for skillet
For Serving (Optional)
- 1 pound green beans, trimmed, steamed or roasted
- 1 pound carrots, peeled, chopped, roasted
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 400°F. For the Lemony Baked Chicken: In a large bowl, toss chicken pieces with olive oil, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until well coated. Set aside to marinate while preparing other components.
⏱️ 5 min•🌡️ 400 - 2
For the Turkey Meatloaf: In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce and Worcestershire sauce; cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
⏱️ 10 min - 3
In a large mixing bowl, combine ground turkey, breadcrumbs, egg, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Add the cooled onion and sauce mixture. Mix thoroughly by hand until all ingredients are well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf shape and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
⏱️ 10 min - 4
For the Lemony Baked Chicken: Place lemon slices at the bottom of a red rectangular baking dish. Layer the thinly sliced onions over the lemons. Arrange the marinated chicken pieces on top of the onions and lemons. Dot the chicken with small pats of butter. Cover the baking dish with its lid or aluminum foil.
⏱️ 10 min - 5
Place the covered chicken baking dish and the turkey meatloaf on separate racks in the preheated oven. Bake the chicken for 45 minutes and the meatloaf for 60-70 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. For the chicken, remove the lid for the last 15-20 minutes of baking to allow it to brown. For the meatloaf, it should be nicely browned with a caramelized crust.
⏱️ 70 min•🌡️ 400 - 6
While the chicken and meatloaf are baking, prepare the Mashed Potatoes: Place the peeled and quartered potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well.
⏱️ 25 min - 7
Return the drained potatoes to the pot. Add warm milk, softened butter, salt, and pepper. Mash with a potato masher until smooth and creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep warm.
⏱️ 10 min - 8
For the Cornbread: While the chicken and meatloaf are finishing, preheat a 9-inch cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together cornmeal, all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just combined (do not overmix).
⏱️ 10 min - 9
Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven. Pour the cornbread batter into the hot skillet. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
⏱️ 25 min•🌡️ 400 - 10
Once cooked, remove the cornbread from the oven. Let it cool slightly in the skillet before slicing. Remove the chicken and meatloaf from the oven. Let the meatloaf rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
⏱️ 10 min - 11
Serve the lemony baked chicken and turkey meatloaf alongside creamy mashed potatoes and a slice of warm cornbread. Optionally, serve with steamed green beans and roasted carrots for a complete meal.
⏱️ 5 min