Uhm, let’s just say – – you may want to double this recipe! Even if it’s just for two people!

I sure wish that I had! My hubby is very particular about “his” meatloaf, and rarely likes any new version that I make over my plain, more traditional, great-for-sandwiches-the-next-day meatloaf. He’s been stuck in a kind of meatloaf rut, really.

So I decided that it was way past due to make a new one! With tomatoes and peppers coming out of my ears, you knew those were going to be going in there! But what started me in the veggie direction in the first place, was a little bit of leftover zucchini that I had hanging out in the fridge! 😉

So let’s get started, because this is so easy, that you might want to whip one up for supper tonight!

After roasting up some tomatoes and peppers, we start with some dark brown sugar, and sprinkle it all across the bottom of the glass bread dish.

Then we drizzle some ketchup right over the top nice and evenly.

Get out a nice large bowl, and break up the extra-lean ground beef. This will make mixing everything together much easier and help to distribute the ingredients more evenly!

Then add your milk, bread crumbs and egg…..

…your minced onion, seasonings, oven-roasted tomatoes and peppers, and grated fresh zucchini!

Lastly, add a little parmesan cheese! I did just use the “green can” kind, but if you have fresh on hand, use that by all means! I didn’t happen to have any left.

Then just work it all together, and shape it into a nice small loaf. Kind of slide the loaf into the pan, and reshape it, being careful to smooth out any cracks on the top and the sides.

Then sprinkle the top with a nice amount of coarse ground black pepper!

Pop this into the oven, and bake for about an hour or a tad longer.

When there’s about 15 minutes left, you can top this with fresh tomato slices, and then when there’s only 5 minutes left, sprinkle the tomatoes with a little more parmesan cheese and finish the last of the baking!

It comes out of the oven so pretty, that you really could serve this to company!

And the taste? OUTSTANDING. This received HIGH ratings from my rather picky hubby, much to my surprise!!! Had I known that he was going to like it that much, believe me, I would definitely have doubled this!!

This one is a must-make and a keeper for sure! The flavor of the veggies was absolutely wonderful, and the zucchini added extra moistness to boot!

A fantastic way to get in extra garden vegetables, and sneak them past the Veggie Hater’s Club, too! 😉

We kept supper simple, and I served this heavenly meatloaf with some fun, retro-style rice and a simple garden salad! (*Rice recipe coming soon!)

So, if you’re looking for an easy weeknight meal and a lovely way to give meatloaf a boost of energy and flavor, this is the one to make!

Hope you all enjoy and have wonderful supper!

Yield: 4 servings

Zucchini, Roasted Tomato & Red Pepper Meatloaf

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Ingredients

Bottom of Pan:

• 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup ketchup

For Meatloaf:

• 1 lb. lean ground beef
• 1/3 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbl. dried minced onion
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt (I use Johnny's)
• 1/8 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 5 roma tomatoes, halved, oven-roasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup oven-roasted red peppers, chopped
• 1/4 cup grated zucchini, squeezed dry before measuring
• 1 Tbl. finely grated parmesan cheese, ok to sub green can kind in a pinch
• extra pepper for top

Top:

• 1 tomato of choice, sliced
• 1 more Tbl. finely grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Slice tomatoes in half lengthwise and 1 large or two medium-sized sweet red cubanelle peppers into thick rings, and place onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet cut sides up. Spray lightly and evenly with butter-flavored no-stick spray. Roast in preheated 375º oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and chop when cooled. Measure and place into a small bowl, set aside.

In large bowl, break up ground beef, and add rest of ingredients. Stir to get started, then mix with hands until ingredients are all combined but not over-mixed into mushy pate! Shape into a loaf.

Sprinkle dark brown sugar into bottom of deep glass bread baking dish or large bread pan. Evenly drizzle ketchup over brown sugar.

Carefully slide loaf into pan, and reshape as needed smoothing top and sides of any cracks. Sprinkle top with more coarse ground black pepper to taste.

Pop into preheated 350º oven for 1 hour to 65 minutes.

*During last 15 minutes top with fresh tomato slices. When 5 minutes left, sprinkle tomatoes with parmesan cheese.

Let cool down a little, about 15 minutes, then transfer loaf to a serving platter. Slice and serve!