Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf

We came home last night to a garden that is producing some great vegetables!  I can't wait for everything to start coming in.  There were 3 zucchini, just the right size for this meatloaf recipe I've been wanting to try.  If you like roasted veggies, then you will love this recipe.  Don't be scared of vegetables in your meatloaf, it really is great.  My 17 month old LOVED it!


Recipe:
3 small zucchini
2 red peppers
2 red onions
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary

2 pounds ground beef (the fattier the better, so that the meatloaf will be moist)
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs (fresh or panko--I used fresh)
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 cup ketchup
2 large eggs
1/4 cup sherry

Preheat oven to 450F.  Dice all the vegetables and place in a large mixing bowl.

Love all these colors!

Add olive oil and rosemary; toss to coat.  Spread evenly on a rimmed baking sheet; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast until veggies are tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven.  Cool.

Preheat oven to 375F.  Mix beef, mozzarella, bread crumbs, basil, marjoram, salt and pepper, and 1 cup roasted vegetables in large bowl.

In a separate bowl, combine ketchup, eggs, and sherry.  Add this to the beef mixture and stir until well combined.  Put into a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, forming a rounded top.

Mix together 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/3 cup, plus a bit more of brown sugar.  Spoon this over the top of the loaf.  Bake until cooked through, about 1 hour 10 minutes.  Let meatloaf rest for 20 minutes before slicing (or slice right away if you want crumbly slices--I didn't wait).

The glaze should look like this when done

Rewarm remaining vegetables in a skillet.  Turn meatloaf out, cut into 1-inch thick slices.  Top with warm roasted veggie mixture and serve with Mustard Mashed Potatoes.

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit, March 2005