Meatloaf: upscale

Okay, so again with the Eat, Shrink and Be Merry. What can I say? I love this cookbook. And, I love this recipe. I feel like it takes meatloaf to a whole new level. I've taken the directions here from Ugly Food Dude.

1 cup finely diced mushrooms
1/2 cup each finely diced red bell pepper, zucchini, and onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 lbs (680 g) extra-lean ground beef
1 cup fresh whole wheat bread crumbs or 1/2 cup dry unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp barbeque sauce or ketchup
1 pkg (.9 oz/25 g) hamburger seasoning mix (I use club house Superburger, but you can use just about anything)
1 egg
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed shredded light Monterey Jack, provolone, or mozzarella cheese (2 oz/57 g)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a medium, non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Add mushrooms, red pepper, zucchini, onions, and garlic.

Cook and stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about five minutes. Add basil and cook 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ground beef, bread crumbs, 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, hamburger seasoning mix, egg, parsley, and pepper. Mix well using your hands.

One a large sheet of waxed paper (or plastic wrap), form meat mixture into a 10×12-inch rectangle.

Make sure edges are nice and straight, not jagged.

Okay, mine are a little jagged.

 Spread reserved vegetable filling over meat, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Sprinkle with cheese. Roll up meat load from the shorter (10-inch) end, lifting the waxed paper to help get it started. Roll it as tightly as possible.

Pinch seam closed.

Transfer meat loaf to a broiler pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread remaining 2 tbsp barbeque sauce over meat loaf. Return to oven and bake for 10 more minutes, or until meat is cooked through and a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Let meat loaf stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!