Vegetable Meatloaf

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup shredded carrots (About 2 large carrots. If you shred your own, no need to sauté them because they’re thin enough to bake through.)
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds lean ground beef (90 or 95 percent lean)
2 large eggs, beaten
2 small zucchini, coarsely shredded
5 cloves crushed garlic
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup ketchup, divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
1. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper and carrots.
2. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables are almost soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. In the meantime, in a large bowl add the beef, eggs, zucchini, garlic, parsley, panko, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 cup ketchup. Add the sautéed vegetables once they’ve cooled down. Mix until just combined.
4. On a foil lined baking sheet, place the meat and form into a loaf.
5. Brush the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup over the entire loaf.
6. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until cooked through. Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Variation: Individual loaves – divide and form into 6-8 loaves. Bake 40-45 minutes at 350 degrees or 30 minutes at 400 degrees until done.