Vegetable Meatloaf

I've been scoping out that Bobby Flay for a while.

But not like that.

A while ago, I saw a Food Network Magazine* recipe from Bobby Flay for a Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze. I like meatloaf. I like vegetables. I like balsamic vinegar. This was a no-brainer.

* Hereafter known as "FNM" because I'm lazy and can't type 3 whole words each time I want to refer to the magazine.

Well, apparently I closed that particular magazine and set it aside.

For 2 years.

No joke. This vegetable meatloaf recipe came out in the Feb/Mar 2009 issue. So I guess I need to step up my game and make more of these FNM recipes. I've actually started going through all my old FNM issues, so you'll start seeing a few more of them pretty soon.

With that being said, I must confess that I also decided to make this dish because I had an extra half of an onion that I had to find something to do with. This is the way recipes are chosen at TBK, people. They're randomly based on my culinary needs at the time. Never mind that I had to go out and buy all the other vegetables...

I'm blowing your mind. I know.


Vegetable Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze
slightly adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe for Food Network Magazine

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small zucchini, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 onion, finely diced
  
• 5 cloves garlic
  
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme (you can use fresh if you have it on hand)
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 20.8 oz ground turkey (90 percent lean) (the original recipe calls for 1 1/2lbs of ground turkey but I bought mine already portioned out)
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (Italian style)
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (can also use Romano cheese)
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

2) Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add in the zucchini, bell peppers, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes.

3) Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

4) Saute the vegetables for about 5 minutes, or until they are soft. Remove them from the heat and allow to cool.

5) Whisk the egg, parsley, and thyme together in a large bowl.

6) Add the ground turkey, breadcrumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and the cooled vegetables.

7) Combine the ingredients and gently press the mixture into a (9x5 inch) loaf pan.

8) For the glaze: Whisk together the remaining 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes in a bowl.

9) Brush the glaze over the entire loaf.

10) Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

11) Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

This meatloaf may not win awards for purtiness anytime soon, but the taste more than makes up for this minor flaw. The meatloaf is pretty moist from the vegetables and the vegetables themselves provide a sweet element in each bite. The balsamic glaze on top of the meatloaf is a mixture of sweet, salty, and smoky flavors. During the baking process, the glaze formed a nice crunchy crust over some areas of the meatloaf, which I loved. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't really detect the heat from the red pepper flakes, so when I make this again I'll probably amp up the amount of red pepper I use.
This recipe was a strong showing by Bobby Flay. I've never had a bad experience with any recipe of his and I can't wait to get through the rest of my magazines to see what else he and the FNM family have in store for me!