Loaded Vegetable Meatloaf

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 01/14/23
Vegetable meatloaf
Diana Rattray
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Total: 100 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Yield: 1 meatloaf
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
382 Calories
17g Fat
29g Carbs
27g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 382
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 17g 22%
Saturated Fat 6g 32%
Cholesterol 100mg 33%
Sodium 601mg 26%
Total Carbohydrate 29g 11%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 27g
Vitamin C 31mg 155%
Calcium 78mg 6%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 739mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This meatloaf includes loads of chopped and shredded vegetables. The loaf is an excellent way to get picky kids to eat their veggies. If there's a vegetable your family doesn't like, feel free to replace it with another one. Chopped mushrooms, shredded zucchini, corn, and chopped celery are just a few of the many possibilities.

For extra tomato flavor, replace the vegetable broth with tomato and vegetable juice, such as V-8. If you like cheese, add about 1/2 cup of grated cheese to the loaf. Or top the meatloaf with a few slices of cheese just before it comes out of the oven.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1/2 pound ground pork

  • 1 cup chopped onion

  • 1 green or red bell pepper

  • 1 large baking potato, or russet potato

  • 2 medium carrots

  • 1/2 cup vegetable broth

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon herb seasoning mixture

  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 large egg

  • 1 cup soft breadcrumbs

  • 2/3 cup ketchup, divided

Steps to Make It

  1. Heat oven to 350 F.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and pork; blend well.

  3. Peel the onion and chop it finely. Remove the seeds and stem from the bell pepper and chop it finely.

  4. Peel and shred the potato and carrots.

  5. Add the chopped and shredded vegetables to the meat along with the vegetable broth, salt, herb seasoning, pepper, and breadcrumbs.

  6. Beat the egg lightly and add it to the bowl with half of the ketchup (1/3 cup).

  7. Use your hands to blend all of the ingredients.

  8. Pack the meat and vegetable mixture into a lightly greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch meatloaf pan or loaf pan, or shape the mixture into a loaf shape and place in a rimmed, foil-lined baking pan.

  9. Bake the meatloaf in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

  10. Carefully pour off and discard excess grease and spread the remaining 1/3 cup of ketchup over the top of the loaf; bake for about 20 to 30 minutes longer.

Tips

  • For the most flavorful and moist meatloaf, avoid very lean beef. An 85/15 blend is fine, but 20 or 25 percent fat is even better. To keep the loaf from being saturated with the excess fat, use a meatloaf pan with a perforated insert. The fat will drip into the bottom section, leaving your loaf moist and delicious.
  • Don't discard excess grease down the drain. Keep a jar or can handy for fat. Once the drippings cool and solidify, toss the jar or can into the garbage.
  • Avoid over-mixing the meatloaf mixture. For less mess when mixing the meatloaf, put all of the ingredients in a large plastic food storage bag. Massage the bag until the ingredients are well blended.
  • To freeze a meatloaf, line the pan with foil. Bake the loaf as directed, let it cool in the refrigerator, and then wrap it tightly in foil. Put the cooled, wrapped meatloaf in a plastic freezer bag. Seal the bag and freeze the meatloaf for up to 6 months.
  • If you grind beef at home, make it slightly coarse for a moister loaf.

Recipe Variations

  • Skip the ground pork and use 1/2 pound more of ground beef.
  • Switch from vegetable broth to chicken broth.

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