I know many parents struggle to get their kids to eat their vegetables. Heck, a lot of adults struggle to eat enough vegetables! But never fear, we’re here to help!

You might be thinking, “Ugh, meatloaf. Really?!” Let me tell you, whoever told you meatloaf isn’t good was dead wrong. And if you’ve had meatloaf that was less than stellar, trust me and stick around. Meatloaf is excellent!

Growing up, my mom made meatloaf…a lot. It was definitely a favorite. We always had loads of ground beef in our freezer from local cows, so it was a natural fit. Plus, my mom worked full-time and it was easy to throw together a good, filling meal in a short time…assuming someone remembered to put a few pounds of ground beef in the fridge before heading out for the day.

Oats in meatloaf??

One thing I always remember her adding to the beef aside from garlic, onion, and spices was oatmeal! It wasn’t until I got older that I understood the purpose. I’m not sure why she chose oatmeal over breadcrumbs like most people, but it is something that has stuck with me. You’ll definitely find oats in my meatloaf every time. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again–oats are amazing and super versatile. We love them here at Dishing Up Grace! You can find the here, here, here, and even here!

Hard to get in the recommended number of veggie servings each day?

For this meatloaf, we not only have oats, but also a boatload of hidden veggies! Zucchini, bell pepper, carrots, leafy greens, onion–basically the whole garden! Don’t have all of those things? No worries, just use what you have on hand! This is a great recipe if you have a summer garden. No zucchini, try yellow squash! No red, yellow, or orange bell peppers? Try green! Got celery? Throw it in there! No carrots? Try sweet potato! Have an overabundance of kale, Swiss chard, or turnip greens? Those are all great choices! There are some many possibilities!

Ground meat choices

Meatloaf is incredibly versatile in that you don’t have to just use ground beef. You can use beef, pork, veal, turkey, or even a combo! I used a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage for this recipe and it was so tasty! I don’t always make it that way, but it’s good to change things up from time to time. The spices and fattiness of the sausage took this meatloaf over the top!

Choose your veggies and ground meat and let’s make dinner!

Meatloaf (with hidden vegetables!)

A twist on traditional meatloaf

Author: Tarin
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 8 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
1 small-medium zucchini (chopped (about 2 cups))
1 bell pepper (chopped)
2 carrots (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
2 cups fresh kale (Swiss chard, turnip/collard/beet greens, chopped)
1 lb ground beef (turkey or pork also work well)
1 lb ground Italian sausage
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs
1 cup quick-cooking oats (or rolled oats pulsed in blender/food processor)
3/4 cup ketchup (divided)
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Instructions

In a large skillet, add oil, zucchini, pepper, carrots, onion, and thyme. Saute over medium-high heat until soft. Add garlic and saute about 30 seconds. Add greens and saute until wilted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool while preparing other ingredients.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a large sheet pan with oil or line with parchment paper.
Add meat, eggs, oats, and 1/2 cup ketchup to a large bowl. Mix slightly with clean hands and add cooled, sauteed vegetables. Mix until combined.
Divide mixture in half and transfer to sheet pan. Shape each half into a loaf shape (the meatloaf will be a little flatter, but will cook quicker). Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix remaining 1/4 cup ketchup with the balsamic vinegar. After the meatloaf has baked for 30 minutes, remove from oven and spread each one with the ketchup and balsamic vinegar mixture. Bake another 25-30 minutes.