Herb-and-Veggie Meatloaf

Herb-and-Veggie Meatloaf

Make an Italian-style version of the all-American classic by starting with ground beef and pork sausage and adding spinach, Italian seasoning, and a garlic-and-herb pasta sauce. Use a store-bought sauce to save time.

For an equally flavorful, lower-fat version, try the Herb-and-Veggie Turkey Loaf. Shorten prep time by using jarred minced garlic and preshredded carrots, which you can also use in Salad With Red Grapefruit-Lemon Vinaigrette. Pair meatloaf with your favorite refrigerated or frozen mashed potatoes prepared with reduced-fat milk

Yield: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic 
• 2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil 
• 1 cup shredded carrots 
• 1 cup roasted garlic-and-herb pasta sauce, divided
• 1 1/2 pounds extra-lean ground beef 
• 8 ounces 50%-less-fat fresh pork sausage
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup uncooked regular oats
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning 
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten 
• Vegetable cooking spray
• Additional roasted garlic-and-herb pasta sauce (optional)

Preparation

1. Sauté onion and garlic in hot oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add carrots, and sauté 3 to 4 minutes or until onion is tender; cool slightly.
2. Combine onion mixture, 1/2 cup pasta sauce, beef, and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl until blended. Shape mixture into a 10- x 5-inch loaf. Place on a rack coated with cooking spray; place rack in broiler pan coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes. Spread remaining 1/2 cup pasta sauce over loaf, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until a thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 155°. Cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand 10 minutes. Serve with additional pasta sauce, if desired.
4. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Prego Roasted Garlic-and-Herb Pasta Sauce.
5. Herb-and-Veggie Turkey Loaf: Substitute 2 pounds lean ground turkey for beef and pork. Proceed with recipe as directed.
6. Calories 203 (25% from fat); Fat 5.6g (sat 1.5g, mono 1g, poly 0.6g); Protein 26g; Carb 12g; Fiber 3.3g; Chol 82mg; Iron 2.4mg; Sodium 884mg; Calc 83mg.

Posted in: best american recipes