IN THE POT | GNOME’S HEALTHY MEATLOAF

I don’t know why but I’d had a hankering for meatloaf.  I think it was because I kept seeing it in the meat section of our grocery store.  I’d made meatloaf before and it hadn’t been memorable, but now that we have a little person in the house I was convinced I could make a healthy version and be able to store it in the freezer as another go-to meal option.

I was really pleased with how this turned out.  I made a mountain of it and we’ve got some in the freezer which is handy to have. I much prefer this version to the first one I ever made. The inclusion of vegetables makes it more palatable.

I served it with a fresh salad and dressing. It’s definitely something I’ll be making again.

Gnome’s Healthy Meatloaf

1kg extra lean beef mince

2 cup fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs (I put 3 day old wholemeal multi-seed bread rolls through the food processor to make breadcrumbs)

1 small brown onion, grated

1 carrot, shredded

1 zucchini, shredded

3 shallots, diced

1 red capsicum, diced

1 yellow capsicum, diced

2 small tomatoes, deseeded and diced

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

3 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Spray baking dish with non-stick oil. (I used a glass brownie dish.)

2. Place mince, breadcrumbs, onion, carrot, zucchini, shallots, capsicums, tomatoes, tomato sauce, parsley and eggs in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Using clean hands, mix until well combined.

3. Push meatloaf mix into the baking dish ensuring it is evenly spread. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until firm to touch. Remove from oven. Drain excess fat.

4. Slice meatloaf. Serve with vegetables.