Two unusual, easy additions make this Jazzed Up Meatloaf incredibly tasty. Your kids won't even notice they are getting a veggie serving with it!

Sliced meatloaf with brown sugar ketchup topping

There was a big sale on lean ground beef so I had pounds of it to make up into burgers and other dishes. Meatloaf is so easy to whip up. It freezes and reheats well and it goes with just about everything.

But I wanted something a bit different so the meatloaf wouldn't taste like just a bigger version of the hamburgers.

Enter carrots and zucchini! I normally add onion in a meatloaf so why not up the veggie ante with some others. The carrots add a touch of sweetness and the zucchini kept the loaf moist. You know how bread and milk added to meat loaf keep it soft? Well zucchini does the same but is even better for you.

Bowl of grated vegetables ready to add to the meatloaf mixture

Your kids won't even know it's there. Yes.. you can see flecks of orange carrot and maybe a bit of onion if you look hard but the zucchini almost totally disappeared.

Ground beef mixed with grated onion, carrot and zucchini

You can't taste any one of the vegetables exactly but all together they add a nice sweet flavour element. Then I got 'fancy' and added a ketchup and brown sugar glaze.

Meatloaf in a casserole with ketchup topping

Note that I cooked this in a casserole dish as shown in the photo above. No matter how lean your beef is you will end up with extra fat/liquid around the meatloaf when it is done cooking. The meatloaf will also typically shrink significantly. I let it sit for 15 minutes to let some of the juices be re-absorbed and then I transferred it to a serving plate where I could slice it easily.

I have a feeling this meatloaf won't even make it to the freezer.... two meatloaf sandwiches already gone in a flash! This freezes well though if you want to make ahead. It will also keep nicely in the fridge overnight and reheat nicely.

Nothing fancy going on here but it is delicious with these Loaded Baked Potatoes! Together they make a comfort food feast!

Baked Potatoes topped with Cheddar and Bacon Bits

Both the meat loaf and the potatoes can be made a day ahead and reheated. They both also freeze well and can be reheated on a busy week night!

Jazzed Up Meatloaf

This meatloaf is so flavourful no one will notice you got some carrot and zucchini sneaked in to it.

Author: Carolyn Hetke

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 7

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 22

Servings: servings

Ingredients

▢ 2 lbs lean ground beef
▢ 1 medium yellow onion diced
▢ 1 large carrot peeled and grated
▢ 1 medium zucchini about 8" long, grated
▢ 1 pkg dry onion soup mix
▢ ½ cup ketchup
▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix the meat, vegetables and soup mix well in a large bowl.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and pat meat mixture into it.
In a separate cup stir brown sugar into the ketchup. Spread evenly over the top of the casserole.
Bake at 350 degrees 50-60 minutes. Exact time will depend on the size of you dish.
When meatloaf is done remove from the oven and allow to stand 10-15 minutes to re-absorb juices. If you have excess juice or fat drain excess before serving.