Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf

I have never been a fan of meatloaf. I tend to be slightly aloof to the typical American family dinners that tend to be heavy boring fare that was popular in the 50's and 60's. This is probably an opinion fostered by my childhood spent in Indonesia, where my first favorite dish as a child was an Indonesian version of Chicken soup (recipe to come later), loaded with lemon grass, ginger and tons of other ingredients. Polar opposite of your typical American family dinner, our house was not one of mediocre fare on any day of the week. Thus my opinion has always been that meatloaf and pot roast are boring dishes that usually come in a microwave container. My lovely sister ( who loves to prove me wrong) introduced me to this recipe. Thank goodness too, because this recipe is a true winner. I find that the addition of a few vegetables and the balsamic vinegar make this meatloaf an over the top delicious version.

This recipe makes a large loaf, with a total of 2 pounds of meat. If you don't have a large family, I would encourage you to either half the recipe, or make two loaves and freeze one of them for re-heating at a later date. If you choose to make and freeze, please cook it before you freeze it. Lowering the temperature of your meat and combining it with all of the ingredients, will cause the start of bacteria growth. Refreezing it without cooking is not really the safest thing to do.

This recipe also calls for three different types of meat. While this gives it an amazing well rounded flavor, please don't be afraid to use your own combination of meats. All beef, beef and veal, or even pork and beef. Be creative, it's my first rule in cooking.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large zucchini, finely diced 1 red bell pepper, finely diced 1 yellow pepper, finely diced 1 small yellow onion, finely diced 5 cloves garlic, smashed 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, divided Salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves, plus more for garnish 1/2 pound ground pork 1/2 pound ground veal 1 pound ground beef chuck 1 cup panko (Japanese) bread crumbs 1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan 1 cup ketchup, divided 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the zucchini, peppers, onion, garlic paste, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, to taste, and cook until almost soft, 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup, 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, and the cooled vegetables and mix until just combined.

Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Whisk together the remaining ketchup, balsamic vinegar, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!