Zucchini Ranch Meatloaf and Bountiful Gardens

So you're still drowning in zucchini, you say?

Still overwhelmed by the sheer volume of ginormous specimens your plant has produced?

Missed out on "Sneak Some Zucchini Onto Your Neighbor's Porch Night"?  Didn't know that was a thing?

Well, judging from the sheer volume of you that have been checking out the zucchini recipes on the blog lately, I'd say there's a good chance you're suffering from whatdoidowithallofthiszucchiniitis- and thankfully I've got you covered!

Just to recap (and help you out with your zucchini issues!) I've written about...

Asian Zucchini and Chicken Burgers

Easy Zucchini Banana Bread

Zucchini Patties

Amazing Muffin Cups with Zucchini Crust

and Zucchini Scallion Frittata Cups

And now, let me introduce you to Zucchini Ranch Meatloaf.

HUGE winner in our house!  Bonus?  I got to use both zucchini and bell peppers from the garden!

Remember those Asian Zucchini and Chicken Burgers I mentioned above?  This meatloaf takes a cue from them in that it uses shredded zucchini- and you can't even tell it's in there!!

I didn't stray too far from the original recipe- subbed chicken for turkey, sautéed the peppers and onions with a little salt and pepper, and- finding myself without steak sauce- just upped the ketchup and worcestershire sauce.  Nothing major.

The flavor was wonderful!  My husband absolutely raved about it.  It's a great way to use up the bounty of a Summer garden as our evenings begin to feel a bit more like Fall.  Go ahead, give it a try!

Zucchini Ranch Meatloaf

Modified From Allrecipes

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground turkey or chicken

3/4 C shredded zucchini (lightly salted and drained of excess liquid)

1/2 C diced onions

1/2 C bell pepper, diced

1 egg

1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1 (1 ounce) package dry ranch dressing mix

1/2 C ketchup

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

2. Sauté peppers and onions with a dash of salt and pepper until soft.  Mix the ground beef, ground turkey, zucchini, onions, green bell pepper, egg, Worcestershire sauce, Cheddar cheese, bread crumbs, ranch dressing mix, and ketchup until well combined. Form the mixture into a loaf in the prepared baking dish.

3. Bake covered in foil in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour. Remove foil halfway through cooking.  An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F.