The Proper Way To Incorporate Vegetables Into Meatloaf

A meatloaf recipe done right is a little like a beef and pork casserole. That is to say, it's not just filled with ground meat, a bit of bread, eggs, and sometimes, ketchup. It's also a place where you can sneak a few more veggies into your diet. As with most recipes of this sort, vegetables in meatloaf often come out better if they're cooked a bit before you put them into the dish. If you don't cook them a little before you stuff your meatloaf with them, the veggies may still be crunchy when you take that first bite. 

To avoid that eventuality, start your meatloaf-making tasks by sweating some chopped vegetables in your cooking oil of choice. This encourages the veggies to release their flavors. At the same time, sweating softens the vegetables a bit before you add them to the raw meatloaf ingredients. You don't have to cook them fully. Some of the cooking action should happen in the oven. Sweating just speeds things up, ensuring that you end up with cooked — not raw — veggies.

You'll want to keep a couple of things in mind. First, make sure to add a generous pinch of salt to the veggies in your skillet. Salt pulls the moisture (and the flavor) out of them. Don't oversalt them, but don't be stingy, either. Second, your pan needs to be just right. It can't be too big or you'll get scorched veggies. It also can't be too small, which causes vegetables to steam instead of sweat.

There are some classic veggie combos, called "mirepoix," that work very well in meatloaf. Typically, these combinations consist of aromatic vegetables like regular or baby carrots, celery, and onions. If you're feeling adventurous, it's possible to substitute ingredients like leeks and turnips for the onions and carrots.

That said, you're not limited to those three vegetables in your meatloaf. Zucchini and other squashes make good filler if you'd like to make the recipe go farther, and mushrooms are a bit like the meats of the vegetable world. They have an umami flavor like meat does and they boast a meaty texture, which tastes great in meatloaf. Different kinds of peppers infuse the meatloaf's interior with bits of color and pops of flavor. Sliced cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower lightens the recipe, reducing the heaviness of the meat. And you'll get some additional flavor, bulk, and texture if you add starchy vegetables like white or sweet potatoes. Grains like rice do this, too.

Finally, keep in mind that tomato flavoring is common in many meatloaf recipes. Most people either mix tomato paste or sauce in with their meatloaf, or they use ketchup. If you'd like a stronger tomato flavor throughout, try adding some seasoned canned tomatoes — or better yet — drop in some sun-dried tomatoes to boost the flavor of your tomatoes beyond what you'd get from tomato paste.

When you're prepping the vegetables for cooking, you'll either need to dice most of them up or use a food grater to make small shavings. Both techniques have advantages. Dicing them into small chunks gives you bigger pops of flavor on the tongue. Go with this option if you're hoping to make the flavors of the vegetables stand out.

However, if you need to hide the veggies in the meatloaf because you're trying to get some finicky eaters to consume more of the green stuff, then try grating those veggies. The thin shavings hide more readily inside the ground meat, making them easier to swallow — both literally and figuratively.

Finally, some vegetables like mushrooms and tomatoes do get diced or grated in some instances. However, it may be more interesting to leave them in bigger-sized chunks. They'll add pockets of savory and acidic flavor and textural contrast to the ground meat in a way that few other vegetables can. This is particularly true if you cook them in your favorite seasonings before adding them to the meatloaf. It's one of those secret weapon meatloaf tricks to getting a proper mouthful with every bite.