How to Make Meatloaf

Learn how to make meatloaf the healthy way and you won't feel guilty about indulging in this comfort food. Start with lean meats and add in tons of veggies. If you don't want to use red meat, consider cooking meatloaf with ground chicken or ground turkey. For a side, try some baked sweet potatoes that are filled with vitamins and have fewer calories than regular potatoes.

Recipe for Healthy Meatloaf
Ingredients You Will Need:
1 small zucchini, chopped
½ yellow onion, chopped
½ red bell pepper, chopped
Salt, pepper to taste
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 lb lean ground beef
1 egg
1 can tomato sauce with garlic and basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil

You're going to start off by sautéing the zucchini, onion, bell pepper, garlic, salt and pepper. Next, mix together the meat, egg, half of the can of tomato sauce, thyme, oregano, basil and the veggie mixture. Take the mixture, and place it into a meatloaf pan. Be sure to pat down the meat into the loaf pan so it has some room to cook.

Bake the meatloaf at 350 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes. After it's been cooking for about 25 minutes, take it out, pour the rest of the tomato sauce on top of it and continue to bake until it's cooked thoroughly. Let it cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Variations and Tips
For a turkey meatloaf, use the turkey meat, a handful of breadcrumbs, ¼ cup of ketchup, one beaten egg, salt, pepper, parsley, thyme, basil, chopped onion and �" cup of skim milk. Combine the ingredients, and put it into a loaf pan. Bake this for about an hour. If desired, you can top the meatloaf with more ketchup before serving.

A mixed green salad with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and olives is the perfect side dish if you want to nix the potato side altogether.