Full of spinach and tomatoes, this meal supplies you with an extra boost in vitamins A and E and several antioxidants. Serve it with orzo rather than potatoes for a nontraditional accompaniment.
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 2½ to 3 hours (LOW)
Standing Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1 egg
¼ cup fat-free or 1% lowfat milk
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed to drain well
1⁄3 cup plain fine-dry breadcrumbs
1⁄3 cup chopped onion
1⁄3 cup chopped softened sun-dried tomatoes, chopped red bell pepper or chopped canned mushrooms
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
¾ teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon dried oregano leaves
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1½ pounds 90% lean ground beef or 85% lean fresh ground turkey
2⁄3 cup bottled marinara or favorite pasta sauce
3 tablespoons finely shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
- Lightly beat egg whites, egg, milk and tomato paste in large bowl. Stir in spinach, breadcrumbs, onion, tomatoes*, basil, garlic salt, oregano and pepper. Add ground meat and mix (do not overwork meat mixture).
- Cut two 16 x 4-inch strips of heavy foil; fold foil strips lengthwise in half. Place foil strips, in a crisscross fashion, in 5- to 7-quart electric slow cooker with strips coming up and over the sides. With damp hands, form ground meat mixture into a 6-inch-round loaf. Place meatloaf in slow cooker on center of foil strips. If necessary, slightly reshape meatloaf so it does not touch side of slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 2½ to 3 hours or until instant-read thermometer inserted near center reads a least 160° F (for beef) or 165° F (for turkey). Transfer meatloaf to carving board using the foil strips to lift and carry. Loosely cover with foil; let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat pasta sauce in small saucepan.
- To serve, cut meatloaf into slices and pass with heated pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese.
* To soften sun-dried tomatoes, place tomatoes in small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let stand about 3 minutes or until softened. Drain before using.
Per Serving (based on 6 servings w/ beef):
calories: 230; 60 calories from fat
total fat: 7 g; 2.5 g saturated fat, 0 g trans fat
cholesterol: 100 mg
sodium: 590 mg
total carbohydrates: 12 g
fiber: 2 g
sugars: 4 g
protein: 30 g
vitamins: vitamin A (40% DV), vitamin C (25% DV)
minerals: calcium (15% DV), iron (20% DV)
exchanges: 3.5 very lean meat, 0.5 starch,
1 vegetable, 0.5 fat
