Meatloaf with Spinach & Mushrooms - Video Recipe

Let's face it, meatloaf is boring -- but oh so tasty. It is the only entree that goes well with soggy canned sweet peas and everyone and their granny has a Meatloaf Recipe. Allow The 99 Cent Chef to throw his whisk into the ring with a version loaded with veggies!.

I was raised with a traditional Meatloaf, that is just ground beef, sauteed onion and garlic, some bread crumbs, egg, and dried herbs. It was baked with a ketchup topping. I loved it. 

Over time I've added mushrooms, then finally mixed in sauteed spinach. These veggie additions work wonders to typical Meatloaf. Plus it's almost a one-pan meal with protein, carbs, and veggies. 

All the veggie ingredients come cheap enough. I get packages of cleaned spinach and small 4 or 5-ounce packages of mushrooms from my local 99c only Store. If you can't get mushrooms cheaply, then just buy a few loose button mushrooms. Add or subtract ingredients as you like.

Ground turkey or chicken is a light alternative to a typical beef Meatloaf.  I look for ground meat on sale then snatch up a few 1 pound packages to freeze. 

I find 1 pound packages of cheap ground turkey and that's enough meat for this Meatloaf.

I like fresh garlic, but use it from a jar, too. Dried garlic, celery flakes, and onion are fine variations.

There is a bit of veggie chopping to do but you are only using half an onion, a stem of celery, and half a bell pepper. I've made this Meatloaf without celery and bell pepper, so use what veggies you have on hand. Make this recipe your own. 

I also get a lot of my favorite fresh veggies from a local Latin market, Superior Grocers, at great prices. 

A couple slices of toasted bread add extra heft, a little milk gives richness and an egg binds it all together.

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl then form a loaf in a baking dish. I like to top my Meatloaf with a mix of ketchup and soy sauce. Finally, bake it for an hour - that's it.

You can feed the family with my Meatloaf with Veggies. And if you have leftovers they freeze well to make a meal later, or put a thick slice between toasted bread for a yummy Meatloaf Sandwich -- that's what I do.

Meatloaf with Spinach & Mushrooms - Video

Play it here, video runs 5 minutes, 1 second.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients for Meatloaf with Veggies (serves 2 - 3)

• Ground meat 1 pound - beef, chicken, or turkey.
• 1/2 onion chopped. 
• 1/2 bell pepper - chopped.
• 1 celery stalk - chopped.
• Mushrooms sliced or chopped - about 8 button mushrooms or a 5-ounce package. Any favorite mushroom.
• Spinach - one bunch washed and chopped. Okay to use a 6-ounce package of cleaned spinach. I remove most of the stems.
• 1 teaspoon garlic - chopped from the jar or fresh.
• Herbs - 1 teaspoon fresh or dried. Any combination of oregano, basil, thyme, parsley, and/or sage. A dried Italian Herb Mix in a jar is an easy way to go.
• 1/4 cup half-and-half cream or milk - optional.
• 1 egg
• 2 slices of bread cubed or shredded - I like to toast mine. Use any favorite like whole grain, white, or even a whole bagel.
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce - optional. Okay to substitute with Soy Sauce.
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil - for sauteing veggies.
• Black pepper to taste - no salt for me as Worcestershire Sauce is salty enough.

* Extra veggies - half a cup of frozen/fresh green peas, a cooked chopped beet, and chopped or shredded carrot. 

Meatloaf Ketchup Topping

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce - or Worcestershire Sauce.

Directions

Prepare veggies by copping them. I like the pieces on the smaller side, but okay to have some chunky pieces. A rough chop is good enough. I like my mushroom slices larger.  

Saute onions, bell pepper, celery, and mushrooms in a tablespoon of oil until tender, about 5 minutes. Veggies will cook some more when you bake the Meatloaf. 

Add garlic and saute one minute more.

Add a bunch of cleaned spinach. Remove most of the stems. You can have one plastic package of fresh spinach that's cleaned, Usually about 6 ounces. Spinach will soften and cook down quickly in about 2 minutes as you stir veggies. 

If you use frozen spinach then defrost and squeeze to remove excess water. No need to saute, just add to the mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl add raw ground meat, sauteed veggies, herbs, and bread. I like to toast the bread and slice or shred it into small pieces. 

Add one egg and pour on the milk or cream. Mix all ingredients.

Add the Meatloaf mix to a baking dish or pan. I like to use a 2 1/2 to 3-inch deep dish so I get a thick meatloaf. If you use a thin sheet pan then the meatloaf can dry out. If your pan is large just pile up the Meatloaf into the center in the shape of a small loaf of bread.

For the Meatloaf topping, stir together ketchup and soy sauce then spread over the top of the Meatloaf. If you don't like a ketchup topping, it's okay to leave it off.

Bake uncovered for about 1 hour at 350 degrees, depending on how "thick" the Meatloaf is. 

The Meatloaf will render a lot of liquid as it bakes, so leave an inch of clearance at the top of the baking dish, so it doesn't overflow. Okay to put a shallow and wide pan underneath the baking dish in case the rendered liquid overflows.

When done, remove Meatloaf and let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Slice into the thickest part of the Meatloaf to check for doneness - no pink juices. The Meatloaf will continue to cook as it cools.

Resting it will allow time for the Meatloaf to reabsorb juices like a sponge and create a divinely moist entree.

Ground poultry will render very little fat, however, if you use ground beef you may want to pour off some fat, once the Meatloaf has reabsorbed some of the liquid.

 My Homemade Mashed Potatoes are a tasty accompaniment, just click here to see it.