Balsamic Glazed Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf is full of flavor and a great way to include vegetables in a family-friendly meal. You’re either a meatloaf lover or a meatloaf hater. I happen to like meatloaf, but I know plenty of people who have an adverse reaction at the very mention of it. Several years ago, my sister passed along a healthy meatloaf recipe by Bobby Flay that included lots of finely chopped roasted vegetables in the meatloaf mix, topped with a sweet and tangy balsamic ketchup glaze. I was skeptical at first and was afraid my kids would revolt at the thought of having vegetables in their meatloaf, but I was wrong.
In fact, my kids absolutely love this meatloaf. My oldest son is the only one who refuses to touch meatloaf, but the other boys keep telling him how good “mom’s meatloaf” is. I’ve been tweaking the recipe a bit the last few years, making it gluten-free (using gluten-free rolled oats) and lightening it up by using ground turkey, chicken, or lean ground beef. Because there are so many vegetables in this meatloaf recipe, it’s really moist. I also added mushrooms to the recipe which I whirled around in my food processor until finely chopped. I just love how the vegetables bulk up this meatloaf – sneaky mom I know ;).
I actually think this balsamic glazed roasted vegetable meatloaf is prettier than most meat loaves – it’s hard to take pictures of brown food that look good, so the little bits of red bell pepper actually make this more appetizing. I made this the other night and served it with simply steamed broccoli drizzled with a little garlic infused extra virgin olive oil, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes moistened with chicken broth, non-fat Greek yogurt, a little low-fat milk and a little extra virgin olive oil. The boys welcomed this comfort meal, and I was happy that it was lighter and healthier than your average meatloaf.
5 from 2 votes
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Instead of the balsamic ketchup glaze, you can also use honey mustard.
CourseMain Course
Prep Time20minutes
Cook Time1hour
Total Time1hour20minutes
Servings8
Calories305kcal
Ingredients
1tablespoonolive oil
1large zucchinifinely diced
1red bell pepperfinely diced
1 8-ouncepackage mushroomsfinely minced (I used the food processor and pulsed them)
3clovesgarlicsmashed to a paste with kosher salt
1/2teaspoonred pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
2large eggslightly beaten
1teaspoondried thyme
2poundsground turkeychicken, lean ground beef or a mixture
1cupgluten-free oatmealprocessed in a food processor or gluten-free breadcrumbs (use ends of gluten-free bread)
1/2cupgrated Romano cheese
1cupketchupdivided
1/4cupplus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add zucchini, pepper, mushrooms, garlic paste, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook until vegetable are just softened, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.
Put eggs, thyme, ground meat, ground oatmeal or bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and cooled vegetables in a large bowl and mix until just combined.
Mold meatloaf into a loaf shape on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Whisk together remaining 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Brush mixture on top and sides of meatloaf. Bake for about 1 hour, depending on how thick the meatloaf is. If meatloaf is browning too quickly, turn oven down to 325. Let meatloaf rest for 10 before slicing.
What is a gluten-free substitute for breadcrumbs in meatloaf? As seen in this meatloaf with breadcrumbs, I use almond flour and pork panko. These are excellent gluten-free substitutes that are also low-carb and keto friendly.
If you don't have any bread, you can substitute it for breadcrumbs, crackers, cereal grains, oatmeal, instant rice, instant barley, or even potato flakes!
When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well. Including larger quantities of these items should help solve the problem.
Rolled oats are the perfect gluten-free binding ingredient, replacing breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf and many more recipes when you need to bind meat and eggs. Rolled oats are best not used as a coating agent as they tend to go soggy.
You can use a food processor to achieve a breadcrumb-like consistency that binds your meatloaf ingredients splendidly. The oats, equal in quantity to the bread crumbs, not only serve as an effective substitute but also provide the dish with added amounts of heartiness and nutrition.
Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat, and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.
By adding finely diced or pureed aromatic vegetables to your mixture, you are adding additional moisture into the meatloaf. Not only does this make your final product juicier, but it also adds lots of extra flavor.
Vegetable Side Dishes. These colorful vegetable sides pair perfectly with meatloaf, like roasted broccoli, glazed carrots, sautéed mushrooms, and creamed corn. Perfectly seasoned broccoli florets roasted until crisp and caramelized. This classic side comes together in minutes.
Shape it into a long mound on a sheet tray lined with parchment or foil, and the excess fat will drain away from the loaf during cooking. If you've properly bound and shaped your meatloaf and haven't overcooked it, it will have the perfect texture without being soggy or dry.
Rolled oats are the perfect gluten-free binding ingredient, replacing breadcrumbs in meatballs or meatloaf and many more recipes when you need to bind meat and eggs. Rolled oats are best not used as a coating agent as they tend to go soggy.
Sunflower seeds, almonds, and sesame seeds are all great breadcrumb alternatives. Chop larger nuts finely in a food processor. Seeds like sesame are already small enough and can be used as is. Use a variety of nuts as a coating for chicken, fish, or pork; just pulse them finely so they will stick.
This is a recipe for a country-style meatloaf, which uses flour instead of breadcrumbs or crackers for the binding agent. The addition of mushrooms, carrots, celery, and onions make this classic comfort food so moist, full of flavor, and absolutely delicious.
Crushed potato chips make a great substitution for panko bread crumbs and are an ingredient most people have in their cabinets already. As an added plus, they're naturally gluten-free, depending on the type used. Chips are already crispy, so there's no need to toast them before substituting.
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You’re either a meatloaf lover or a meatloaf hater. I happen to like meatloaf, but I know plenty of people who have an adverse reaction at the very mention of it. Several years ago, my sister passed along a healthy meatloaf recipe by Bobby Flay that included lots of finely chopped roasted vegetables in the meatloaf mix, topped with a sweet and tangy balsamic ketchup glaze. I was skeptical at first and was afraid my kids would revolt at the thought of having vegetables in their meatloaf, but I was wrong.
