Happy Mouth Meatloaf

I call this Happy Mouth Meatloaf because it will make your mouth happy. The “real” name for it (the one I have dubbed it) is Hidden Veggie Meatloaf w/ Balsamic Glaze. The words veggie and meatloaf in the same sentence sounds like an oxymoron but trust me when I say that this time it works.

I must give credit where credit is due. The original recipe is from Bobby Flay but I have altered it enough that now I feel like it is my own. Isn’t Bobby Flay cute?

The veggies in this meatloaf aren’t truly hidden because you can still see them when you slice it. Jessica Seinfeld’s method of hiding veggies is to steam them and puree them then add them to whatever you’re making. That method works really well for the pickiest of eaters. However, for this recipe I don’t think it would work all that well because it would be too much moisture in the meat mixture.

Here we go:

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 sm. zucchini, grated (about a cup)

1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 egg

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

salt & pepper

1) Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat olive oil in large skillet and saute garlic, bell peppers and zucchini until just tender. Season w/ salt. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

If you don’t have one of these little babies for mincing garlic then do yourself a favor and go get one.

2) In a large bowl combine the turkey, egg, panko, grated cheese, 3/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar. I like to use Lawry’s season salt but it’s up to you if you want to use that. If you don’t have or don’t like Lawry’s then just season with course salt. Season with cracked black pepper. Add cooled veggies and mix until just combined.

3) Press into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. In a small bowl mix 1/4 cup ketchup and 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar. Brush the glaze mixture over the entire loaf.

I used 1 lb. ground turkey and 1/2 lb. ground beef because that’s what I had in the fridge. If you only have 1 lb. of meat I’m sure that would be okay. In fact, I had what looked to be about 1/2 lb. left over that wouldn’t fit into the dish.

Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.