Roasted Vegetable Balsamic Meatloaf

Flavorful and moist Roasted Vegetable Balsamic Meatloaf is a savory blend of ground beef and caramelized vegetables. Easily made gluten free, this is not your ordinary meatloaf! Serve it with fluffy mashed potatoes for a comfort food meal or turn it into a satisfying sandwich with homemade gluten free bread!

Meatloaf on a plate with a baked potato and green beans.

Why You’ll Love This Balsamic Meatloaf

Delicious Details

Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven
Dietary Info: Gluten-free option
Skill Level: Easy

Roasted vegetable meatloaf is my spin on a classic retro dinner, packed with vegetables and a DIY balsamic ketchup made with fresh and dried herbs. Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and intensifies their flavor. So when you add them to meatloaf it will be anything but bland.

I love that you can use whatever veggies you have in the fridge or choose the vegetables your family likes best. Whether you want to use up leftover roast veggies or make them from scratch for this recipe, I know your family will love this hearty dinner. Some highlights include:

So many vegetables! Now, when I say roasted vegetable meatloaf, I don’t mean vegetarian meatloaf – there’s a good portion of meat in this recipe. But, if you like vegetables as much as I do you’ll appreciate how many vegetables I’ve managed to cram into this meatloaf. They make it extra moist and flavorful.
The homemade sauce. Ditch the bottled ketchup, and make a quick batch of homemade. All you need is tomato paste, a few herbs, and balsamic vinegar to add a delightfully tangy, umami burst of flavor.
Filling. There are two pounds of ground beef in this balsamic meatloaf recipe, so no one will leave the table hungry!

Slices of meatloaf on a plate with vegetables.

Recipe Ingredients

I’ve included everything you’ll need for this roasted vegetable meatloaf recipe below. Scroll down to the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.

Roasted Vegetables: You can roast a medley of vegetables for this recipe, use leftover vegetables, or use the vegetables from my balsamic roasted veggies recipe (linked lower down in the “Tips & Variations” section).
Eggs: Large eggs help the meatloaf to hold together.
Balsamic Ketchup: My simple recipe for this ketchup is in the recipe card or you can substitute a simple blend of vinegar and tomato paste.
Bread Crumbs: Use gluten free breadcrumbs as needed. See my tips for an easy alternative.
Parmesan Cheese
Thyme: You can use fresh or dried thyme.
Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have Italian seasoning in the pantry, swap a mix of equal parts dried basil and oregano.
Salt and Pepper: I use Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ground Beef: Use your choice of ground beef. I’ve mostly use 90%-93% lean, but 80-85% will work just fine, too.

Labeled ingredients for meatloaf: ground beef, balsamic vinegar, roasted vegetables, parmesan, seasonings, balsamic ketchiup.

How To Make Roasted Vegetable Balsamic Meatloaf

This easy meatloaf comes together fast. Here’s a look at how to prepare it. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.

Make the ketchup. Preheat your oven to 350° F and mix together the balsamic ketchup.
Puree vegetables. In a food processor, puree the roasted vegetable until just chunky.
Mix filling. Combine the eggs, about half of the ketchup, bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings.

Roasted vegetables pureed in a food processor. — Puree veggies.

Eggs, balsamic ketchup, and seasonings in a bowl. — Puree veggies.

Add the puree. Stir in the roasted vegetable puree.
Mix. Stir in the puree well to combine.

Vegetables are added to ground beef. — Add vegetables.

A spoon stirs meatloaf mix. — Add vegetables.

Add beef. Now, stir in the beef and stir it to incorporate thoroughly.
Form. Press the mixture firmly together as you form it into a loaf.

Meatloaf mixture in a bowl. — Mix in beef.

A formed meatloaf on a baking pan. — Mix in beef.

Top with ketchup. Spread ½ cup of the ketchup over the meatloaf.
Bake. Cook the meatloaf for about 1 hour, until it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

Meatloaf topped with balsamic ketchup in a baking pan. — Top with ketchup.

Balsamic ketchup is spread on meatloaf. — Top with ketchup.

Tips & Variations

Here are a few of my best meatloaf-making tips as well as a few variation options:

Mix well. The pureed veggies make this meatloaf moist and tender, so make sure to mix it thoroughly and pack it together tightly when you form the loaf so it doesn’t fall apart.
Use a meat thermometer. You’ll want to cook the meatloaf to an internal temperature of 160°F. I recommend an Instant Read Thermometer for a quick and accurate reading.
Try whatever vegetables you like. I use veggies from my Balsamic Roasted Vegetables recipe to make this meatloaf. I love adding balsamic vinegar to vegetables when you roast them to enhance their caramelized flavor even more. However, any leftover roasted vegetables will work. You could do a mix of carrots, cauliflower, butternut squash, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, Brussels sprouts, and more.
Use oats. Breadcrumbs as often used as a binder for meatloaf, and gluten free breadcrumbs work well in this recipe. But, I also love using gluten free old fashioned oats instead of breadcrumbs. Just give them a quick grind first: Place the oats in a food processor and pulse them a couple of times to break them down a bit before adding them to the meatloaf mixture. Do not use quick or instant oats because they will soak up too much liquid in the meatloaf and it may fall apart.
Balsamic ketchup alternative: If you don’t want to make my balsamic ketchup recipe, you can simply mix one 6-ounce can of tomato paste with ½ cup of balsamic vinegar and a few pinches of salt.
Plan ahead: Roasted veggie balsamic meatloaf is a great make ahead or meal prep recipe. Save yourself some time later: If you are roasting vegetables for dinner one night, double the batch and set aside 2 ½ cups to be able to mix up the meatloaf a day or two later. Keep the vegetables in an airtight container in the fridge until you make the meatloaf.

A slice of meatloaf with a baked potato and green beans.

Proper Storage

Here are a few options for how you can store leftover meatloaf:

Fridge – Place leftover cooled meatloaf in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer – You can freeze the whole meatloaf or cut it into slices for individual portions. Place the whole meatloaf in a freezer-safe bag, or wrap each slice in plastic then place them in a freezer-safe bag. Store the meatloaf in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost the meatloaf thoroughly in the fridge before reheating it.
To Reheat – To heat the meatloaf in the microwave, place it in a microwave-safe dish and heat in 1-minute increments until hot. To heat in the oven, place the meatloaf in an oven-safe pan and warm it in a 350°F oven until hot.

Make It A Meal

The best side to meatloaf is a big, buttery scoop of mashed potatoes or some simple baked potatoes or Spicy Air Fryer Sweet Potato Cubes if you want an alternative to mashers! You can add more vegetables, like easy steamed green beans or air fryer broccoli, or make a fresh salad. Here are a few more of my favorite ways to serve balsamic meatloaf:

Cornbread. Meatloaf is so homey. I love serving it with an equally homey side like Gluten Free Cornbread or Gluten Free Cornbread Muffins spread with butter and drizzled with honey.
Salad. Make a raw veggie salad to contrast the richness of the meatloaf. I always love an Easy Greek Salad, or you could try a simple C ucumber Tomato Feta Salad featuring summer produce or a Winter Salad with seasonal ingredients.
Vegetable sides. Simple vegetable accompaniments to balsamic meatloaf include Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Asparagus, or Parmesan Roasted Brussels Sprouts.
Bread. A loaf of Gluten Free Sandwich Bread or fluffy Gluten Free Focaccia makes an easy side to meatloaf. And, you can use the sandwich bread to make meatloaf sandwiches later!

More Beef Recipes To Try

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Meatloaf on a plate with a baked potato and green beans.