#203 Not your Mother's Meat Loaf--this one is Stuffed with Mushrooms

Meat Loaf served with mashed cauliflower, gravy and steamed asparagus. What a really satisfying low-carb meal for those of us who need a short break from high-glycemic foods for a while.  Now, we all associate 'meatloaf' with something typically unappetizing!! But I have the key to the most moist meatloaf -rather a secret some of my close friends shared with me and it really works!! How do you moisten a meat loaf? A half cup of any liquid like water, barbecue sauce, milk or wine can make a major difference and moisten the driest meat loaf and you can enjoy the juiciest moist slice in a sandwich.  While in elementary school my daughters loved meat loaf sandwiches, so this was my  way of sneaking in those vegetables that they avoided eating:)

Today, I figured I could make a vegetarian version by offsetting with a meat substitute, but I have this notion of using a little bit of meat for any meatloaf to be true to the name!  Meat loaves loaded with grated vegetables and old fashioned oats add extra nutrients and just makes me feel better! In addition, they also display pretty flecks of color and look phenomenal, so feel free to add cooked spinach or peas if you like.  Who wouldn't love individual meat loaves stuffed with mushrooms and cheese? and if you slather some tangy barbecue sauce all over it will make a perfect dinner for close friends or become an alluring way to make your children eat their vegetables.

So here's a moist, colorful stuffed meat loaf...........
Ingredients:
Jimmy Dean Sausage Roll- 1 pkg
Ground Turkey or Ground Vegetarian Crumbles- 1 Cup
Carrots-2 small
Celery- 1 stalk
Onions- 1/2 a Spanish onion
Flat Leaf Parsley- 1/4 cup chopped
Dried Oregano- 1 Tspn
Garlic- 2  cloves chopped fine
Old Fashioned Oats- 1 cup
Egg beaten- 1
1/2 cup cold water
Sliced Mushroon Can 7 oz- 1
Grated Cheddar cheese- 1/2 cup
Barbecue Sauce (storebought)- 1 cup
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a food processor, grate carrots, celery, onions and garlic. Toss in a large glass bowl.
2. To the glass bowl, add the sausage and turkey meat, eggs, salt, oats, parsley, oregano,
salt and pepper to taste and mix gently with clean hands add a half cup of water or milk and mix.
3. Divide the mixture into four to five portions or balls.
4. I turned them into mini meat loaf shapes.
5. Flatten each meat loaf in your hands and place a tspn each of cheddar cheese and mushrooms
right in the middle. Very carefully cover this filling completely by moving the meat mixture all over
until the filling is completly engulfed in the center of the meatloaf.
6. Place each mini meat loaf on a baking pan leaving an inch between them.
7. Using a kitchen brush, apply the barbecue sauce all over each meat loaf.
8. Bake in a 375 degree F oven until the juices flow clear and meatloaves are cooked.
9. Serve each with vegetable of your choice and mashed potatoes w/gravy.