Pineapple Meatloaf

You read that right! I got the idea from my Mom, who recently said she make a pineapple meatloaf that was good. I don't know what was in hers but it inspired me. The pineapple is canned and not at all overwhelming in taste. It was quite pleasant to get a bit of pineapple with my bite, and it pairs really nicely with the BBQ sauce and ketchup mixed topping.

You may notice that I included 2 vegetables. For 2 pounds of meat it really isn't much but this is a way for you to sneak some veggies in your meals.You won't even notice! I'll often shred veggies to sneak them in my dishes. I'm always trying to get more vegetables in my diet. For this recipe, I shredded 2 carrots and a large zucchini. The zucchini is moist so I squeeze is dry in a paper towel or dish towel. If you are looking for some gluten free bread crumbs, the one i'm using is Ian's. You can find it at Whole Foods. Amazon has gluten free panko as well, but you will be paying extra.

I used a 5x10 loaf pan with an insert. I got it at Williams Sonoma, the insert makes it so easy to pop out the loaf. This makes a pretty large meatloaf, if you see below. If you don't have this large size of loaf pan you can cut the meat in half or, my preference, use disposable smaller pans and make 2. This is a great idea if you don't need 6 or more servings. You can bake one and freeze the second. To freeze, just saran wrap, foil and write directions on top of foil so you don't forget. Same cooking instructions from there after you defrost. I would use it within 2 months. Look at you go, 2 meals ready!

This may sound strange, but do you know what I like to do with leftover meatloaf sometimes? Tacos. You can also break it up and put in on a salad or in a crustless quiche. I used my leftover meatloaf this time for egg cups. I even added the broccoli. It was great! Otherwise, I meal plan this for the week and serve with a salad or steamed broccoli. I like to add Everything but the Elote seasoning from Trader Joe's and often times a slice of cheese, especially for kids or picky eaters. Another tip on the broccoli, they sell bags that you can poke a hole in and microwave for 3-4 minutes until steamed. This cuts out some dishes and time. If I'm not buying broccoli for this purpose I try to buy the whole head to cut down on using plastic. I try, but sometimes convenience wins. I won't judge you!