I love my mom’s meatloaf.  It’s right up there with her fried cabbage, her sauce and meatballs, and her stew.  Who doesn’t love meatloaf, really?  It’s a classic comfort food.  I was in the mood for something comforting tonight, but I also wanted to try something new.  I found this Bobby Flay recipe for a vegetable meatloaf with a balsamic glaze and decided to I’ve it a try.  It was really delicious.  It was moist and the vegetables added great flavor.  My only issue was that the balsamic glaze burned a little on the edges.  Next time, I may cook the meatloaf, add the glaze, and put it back in the oven just for a little.  I think this recipe would be a great way to get kids to eat their veggies too.  I mean, you can sneak all of this into the meatloaf without them even realizing it:

Brilliant!

Start with those secret veggies…

• Preheat your oven to 425º.
• Finely dice 1 zucchini, 1 red pepper, 1 yellow pepper, and 5 cloves of garlic.

• Heat some EVOO in a skillet over medium-high heat.

• Add the veggies.

• Season with s&p and stir.

• Cook until tender, stirring every now and then.
• While the veggies cook, mince up some fresh thyme and parsley.

• Once the veggies are finished, remove from the heat and let cool.

Now you’re ready to make the loaf…

• Add the fresh herbs to the bottom of a large bowl.

• Crack an egg into the bowl.

• Whisk to combine.

• Add 1 package of ground turkey.

• Add 1 cup of panko.

• Add 1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese.

• Add 1/2 cup ketchup.

• Add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar.

• Add the sautéed veggies.

• Mix to combine everything.  Do not over mix.  (Make sure you remove any rings before mixing!  Cleaning raw turkey off of them is NO fun!)
• Press the mixture into a loaf pan.

Last, make the glaze…

• Add 1/4 cup ketchup to a bowl.

• Add 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar.

• Add 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flake.

• Whisk to combine.
• Spread on top of the meatloaf.

Bake for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to make this dinner.  It is a bit time consuming, but well worth it in the end!  I served with a side of baked parmesan zucchini.  Recipe to come tomorrow for that!  Enjoy!!