Hide the Veggies - Meatloaf

I don't know about you, but it can be difficult to get vegetables into my children, at least a variety. My daughter Shelby loves red peppers, my son Liam hates them. Liam loves carrots, Shelby hates them. My youngest Ian doesn't eat any vegetables; at least so he thinks!!!

I can up with this recipe not to be sneaky, but to prove a point; you don't know you don't like something if you don't try it.


How to get this into your children's bellies...

 

 

 

Ingredients:

2lbs ground hamburger (can sub ground turkey)

1 small onion

2 medium carrots

1/2 red pepper

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup zucchini (water squeezed out)

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup bread crumbs

1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1tablespoon Italian seasoning

salt & pepper to taste (I used 1tea salt & 1/2 tea pepper)

 

Now most meatloaf recipes have you combine all the ingredients together, place in a pan, cook and serve. Well, my children would not be impressed with eating vegetables they "don't like!"

Here is how I get around that...hide them!

 

Get out your box and micro-plane graters. Yes, it takes a little muscle but the end result is worth it. Make sure to be careful and watch out for your fingers!

I used the box grater for the carrots & zucchini on the smallest grater side. I used the microplane over a bowl for the red pepper, onion and garlic. I did this to catch all of the juices from the veggies. The juice holds too much flavor and nutrients to just throw away!

 

 

This is how it should look; no clumps. It almost looks  just like baby food.

 

 

 

 

Now mix everything else together and transfer to a loaf pan.

 

 

 

Place in oven at 350 degrees and cook for about 1 hour or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees F. I use a meat thermometer to insure proper temp.

 

 

Yum Yum!! This meatloaf is so flavorful and moist from all of the hidden vegetables.

I didn't tell my kids what was in it, even when they asked. I would respond and say it is just like a big burger cooked in a pan. I had to put cheese on Liam's to get him to eat it, but Shelby ate two servings! Yeah!!