The Man of Steel loves meatloaf. Me? Not so much. So I’m always on the hunt for meatloaf recipes healthy enough for a guy able to devour great mounds of the stuff at one setting and tasty enough for me. Thanks to my daughter-in-law, who mentioned a meatloaf recipe that included a variety of shredded veggies, I may have located one.
The original recipe can be found at Yummly. The recipe below is quite different, though both use zucchini as the primary vegetable. This version adds a few more veggies and does not have a topping as we prefer to dip our meatloaf in barbeque sauce (him) and mustard (her). Next time, I’ll replace the oregano and basil with dried, ground mustard as the Italian herbs didn’t seem quite right for meatloaf. See what you think.
Healthy Meatloaf with Hidden Veggies
1 cup grated, unpeeled zucchini, squeezed dry
1 medium carrot, grated
1/4 cup sweet pepper, diced fine
½ cup uncooked rolled oats (not quick cooking)
¾ cup finely chopped onion
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons fat-free milk, or milk substitute (rice or almond)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 pound extra lean ground beef 93% lean
Preheat oven to 350°. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients except the meat. Add the meat and mix with hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Press mixture into loaf pan. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit 10 minutes before serving.
