Italian-Style Slow Cooker Meat Loaf

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Tomatoes, parsely and feta cheese add Italian flair to this slow cooker beef and lamb meat loaf.

Italian-Style Slow-Cooker Meat Loaf
Photo: Jacob Fox
Prep Time:
35 mins
Slow Cook Time:
3 hrs 30 mins
Stand Time:
15 mins
Total Time:
4 hrs 20 mins
Servings:
8

Ingredients

  • 1 14.5 ounce can Italian-style stewed tomatoes, well drained and chopped

  • ¾ cup soft whole wheat bread crumbs (1 slice)

  • ½ cup chopped onion (1 medium)

  • ½ cup chopped zucchini

  • ½ cup well drained and chopped roasted red sweet peppers

  • ½ cup refrigerated or frozen egg product, thawed

  • cup snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

  • 1 pound 95% lean ground beef

  • 8 ounce ground lamb or 85% lean ground beef

  • Nonstick cooking spray

  • ½ cup reduced-sugar ketchup

  • 2 tablespoon reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 2 tablespoon crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese (optional)

Directions

  1. In a large bowl combine tomatoes, bread crumbs, onion, zucchini, roasted peppers, egg product, half of the parsley, the garlic, and black pepper. Add ground beef and ground lamb; mix well.

  2. Coat a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Cut three double-thick, 18x3-inch heavy foil strips. Crisscross strips in the prepared cooker; coat strips with cooking spray. Place meat mixture on top of strips in cooker; pat into an oval or round loaf. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 3 1/2 hours or on high-heat setting for 1 1/2 hours.

  3. If using low-heat setting, turn to high-heat setting. In a small bowl combine ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, and vinegar. Spoon ketchup mixture over meatloaf. Cover and cook for 30 to 45 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer registers 165°F.*

  4. Using the foil strips, carefully lift meatloaf from cooker, allowing liquid to drip off. Place on a serving plate. Remove foil strips. Sprinkle meatloaf with cheese (if desired) and the remaining parsley. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

*Tip:

Meat may still look pink inside.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

194 Calories
8g Fat
9g Carbs
20g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 194
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 452mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Total Sugars 6g
Protein 20g
Vitamin C 34.9mg 175%
Calcium 43mg 3%
Iron 2.8mg 16%
Potassium 373mg 8%
Folate, total 29.6mcg
Vitamin B-12 1.7mcg
Vitamin B-6 0.2mg

*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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