Nothing says comfort food more than meatloaf! However,  just hearing the words comfort food makes me think of gut-busting food. But not this meal. I’ve lightened it up by making mini meatloaves rather than one giant one. And I nestled them in zucchini noodles and tomato sauce, rather than regular noodles. Protein and veggies makes this a healthy meal!  Enjoy!

 -Tammy

Health tips: diabetes-friendly, low carb, kidney-friendly, kid-friendly

Mini Meatloaves (Makes 6 servings)

2 lb. lean ground beef (I used 4%)
3/4 cup oats
1 1/2 TBS of your favorite steak rub (such as Montreal)
2 tsp dried Italian seasoning                                                                                                                         2 TBS tomato paste                                                                                                                                        2 eggs                                                                                                                                                                   1 cup of mozzarella cheese                                                                                                         Parmesan cheese

For the Tomato Sauce:
1 TBS olive oil                                                                                                                                                      1   28oz. can of crushed tomatoes                                                                                                               2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated                                                                                         ¼ cup onion, finely chopped                                                                                                                    ½ tsp kosher salt                                                                                                                                            1 ½ tsp dried Italian seasoning

For the Zucchini:
olive oil                                                                                                                                                                6 zucchini, spiralized or chopped                                                                                                            Pepper                                                                                                                                                            Salt (optional)

Steps:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine the meatloaf  ingredients and smush with your hands until incorporated (don’t over mix). Divide the mixture into 6 portions. Place each loaf on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. The last 10 minutes of baking, add some sauce on top of the meatloaves and top with cheese.

2. While the meatloaves are in the oven, make the sauce. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the can of tomatoes, salt, and seasoning. Let simmer until meatloaves are done.

3. In a large nonstick skillet, add olive oil on high heat. Add zucchini to the pan. Don’t move it around. Let the zucchini caramelize. Add salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes, then stir/flip zucchini around. As soon as the zucchini start to “slump”, turn heat off. You don’t want them to overcook and get soggy. You want them to have crunch.

4. To serve, layer zucchini in the bottom of shallow bowl or plate. Add a mini meatloaf on top. Pour sauce on noodles and top everything with parm cheese. Serve extra sauce on the side.