Loaded Veggies in Meatloaf .... Waste not Want not...

Today. I had a lots of vegetables and they were running out of time. It seems to me, now a days they really don't last very long. So every once in awhile I go through my fridge and save them.
Today I had broccoli, cauliflower, sweet peppers, celery, onions, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, and garlic.
I decided it was meatloaf time.

Loaded Veggies in Meatloaf

Ingredients:

Any and I mean any veggies you have around. I also like to make sure I add an onion and garlic, kinda rounds out the flavor.

2lbs of ground beef (any kind, they higher fat is good for meatloaf, it makes it taste yummier..)

3 Cups of Oatmeal ( or this is a great time to use up old stale crackers or bread) (just break them down into medium crumbs

2 cup of any BBQ sauce

1/4 ketchup

(because I made this for the kids, I had to hide all the vegetables, you can small dice a bit of onion into the meat mixture or use a can of tomatoes to add texture.)

Instructions:

1) Cut all veggies into bite size, they cook faster that way. Put in pot with water to cover. Boil until all is tender. Then strain.

**( I strained this all and I saved my water, which is not a veggie broth. I will use it in chicken soup or any soup another day. If not I will freeze it) look at that pretty broth, got about a 2 quarts)

2) Take your immersion blender and puree all the vegetables together.
** ( Mind made a lot so I bagged half to put in the freezer for either meatloaf or meatballs. )

3) Combine vegetables, oatmeal (or what you would like to use as a binder, crackers, bread)

4)  1 cup of BBQ sauce (at this time you can put diced onion, diced tomato, I don't cause the kids will see it)

5) Mix together and form into a loaf. I made mine in mini loaves.

*I also make extras to put up for sandwiches.

*I sometimes make TV dinners, I would cook extra green beans, corn and mashed potatoes just to make the TV dinners for another night and freeze.

6) Spread mixture of ketchup and BBQ sauce on top. Bake at 350 for about an hour, maybe a bit more, I kinda test to see if it is done.

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With this meal, I am also going to use my leftover mashed potato's from the meal the other day. I also cook a bit extra then too. I used Idaho instant and keep the left overs.

I will mix them together with a sprinkle of fat free cheese, bacon bits, chives and a little garlic salt. Put in a casserole, sprinkle a little more cheese on top and bake until brown.

*If you want a nice crunch, I take a container of French's fried onions and brown on a sheet pan and sprinkle on finished potatoes.

A few cans of green beans and this meal is set.

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From this Waste Not, Want Not Meal.

>I have acquired 10 mini meat loaves. Which is one meal and then 5 TV dinners on another night.

>I have acquired 2 quarts of vegetable broth. Which I could freeze, but I am going to put in my crackpot in the morning with 2 chicken breasts, onion, celery and carrot, and leave for about 5 hours, then shred chicken, a bit of bouillon and add in noodles, cover and come back in an hour and you will have chicken soup.

> I have acquired a 4 more cups of pureed vegetables to put in freezer. Can be added to another meatloaf, and meatballs.  I actually could bag it smaller and use in other things.

Gosh I wonder what it would do in bread????????????????

What I have learned 

>Is nothing is a waste, if you logically plan ahead and spare it from the waste bin.

>Making meatloaf also can have you use other things, like stale bread, stale crackers. I actually sometimes, dry out the crackers and bread and make into crumbs and store in mason jars.

>Just by adding a few more things to my potatoes I have a whole other side dish. 

I just seem to hate to throw anything away.

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GA has finally melted from our mini snow storm..no jokes..I know, I know.. please let us move on.

Spring is coming, I am hoping. This month we will need to get our branches on our peach and apple tree trimmed up. My birthday is soon and I think this year I would like two walnut trees...

I am hoping this post finds everyone at least warm and safe. Hang in there Spring will come and this will all be behind us.

Make some good memories..

Life is really just that simple