Eggplant Meatloaf

 I should call this magical meatloaf…a sweet, smoky glaze rests atop the moist, juicy meatloaf.  Eggplant is the perfect vegetable to provide that meaty mouth-feel without all the meaty Points Plus values!  This is the perfect way to hide eggplant from those who fear it most…according to my fiancé, you can’t even tell there’s eggplant in it.  This would be a great make ahead meal…just reheat, add a side of brown rice or whole wheat pasta and a salad…and voile, dinner is served.

 

Servings: 6

Points Plus: 2 per slice

Works with SFT: Yes

Ingredients:

For the meatloaf:

·         8.5 oz lean ground beef (no more than 5% fat)

·         1 medium eggplant, quartered

·         1 egg, beaten

·         1 small onion, diced (reserve ¼ cup for the glaze)

·         3 cloves garlic, minced

·         1 tsp Italian seasoning

·         ½ tsp smoked paprika

·         ½ tsp salt

·         ¼ tsp black pepper

·         1 slice reduced calorie wheat bread (I used Healthy Life Original Wheat), torn into small pieces

·         Cooking spray

For the glaze:

·         ¼ cup of onion that you reserved

·         3 T ketchup

·         1 T chipotle mustard

·         ½ tsp hot sauce (I used Louisiana)

·         1 tsp balsamic vinegar

·         1 tsp red wine vinegar

·         1 tsp Worcestershire

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a steamer or large saucepot with a steamer insert, steam eggplant until tender.  While the eggplant is steaming, heat a 10” skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray.  Sauté onion and garlic until soft, stirring frequently…add a tablespoon of water if they start to overcook.  When eggplant is tender, dice and add to the onion and garlic.  Add Italian seasoning, paprika, salt, and pepper.  Turn heat up to medium-high and cook until the mixture is seems dry, about 4-5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, and eggplant mixture, and torn bread pieces.  Mix until ingredients are just blended.  Don’t over mix or the meat will get tough.

Pour mixture into loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  At this point, I noticed some liquid pooling in the pan, so I drained it off.  Then, increase the heat to 425 and bake an additional 25 minutes.

While the meatloaf is baking, reheat the skillet over medium heat and spray with a little cooking spray.  Saute the onion until soft then add ketchup, mustard, hot sauce, both vinegars, and worcestershire.  Let the mixture cook down for a few minutes until it’s a bit darker and thicker.  During the last ten minutes, spread the glaze across the top of the meatloaf.

Once baked, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for about five minutes.  Slice into 6 pieces. 

This recipe would work great with individual mini meatloaves too...keep an eye on them, they probably wouldn’t have to bake as long.