Meatloaf and Confetti Squash

When I made this I looked at a few recipes to check oven temp and cooking time, but it got me in my head and I didn't trust my own version of meatloaf (which is a pseudo-version of my Mom's and Aunt's). I'm going to describe this recipe as I would make it NEXT time. The hybrid version I made was okay but I think I'll go back to my old version. Okay so take 1.5 lbs ground beef or turkey or a combo but don't use the super lean turkey unless you want super lean meatloaf-which translated means super DRY meatloaf. To the meat add 1 small onion, 1 small carrot, 5 or so mushrooms and 1 stalk celery that have all been super diced in a food processor (almost pureed) or grated or diced by hand super small. For spices I add about 1/2 tsp salt and pepper, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, a squirt or 2 of Worcester sauce, hot sauce, Dijon mustard, ketchup and/or BBQ sauce, fresh parsley is good if you have some as is a little curry powder if you like your food to bend that way. In another bowl put two pieces of bread (you can pulverize this in the processor too for bread crumbs but I usually just break up the bread when it's wet) or about 1/3 cup bread crumbs, pour a couple of tablespoons of milk on top just to wet it the bread but not so much that it pools, and an egg. With a fork mash up the milk-bread-egg, then add it to the meat-veggie-spice bowl and mix the whole thing gently with your hands until it's combined. It should be sticky but not watery and if it seems too dry add a little more milk. On a sheet pan lined with foil make a nice mound about two inches high and 8-9 inches long. Bake at 425 degrees for about 45 minutes until a meat thermometer reaches 160. Half way through the cooking baste with ketchup or BBQ sauce if you like and again just before it's done. DON'T BLINDLY TRUST my cooking times, my oven is a little wacky, so trust the meat thermometer. Serve this with mashed potatoes. This part is not negotiable. I made mine with boiled red potatoes which I mashed with chicken broth. This makes great potatoes that are not full of butter and cream (which also make great potatoes).

The confetti squash was two medium or large zucchini and/or summer squash cut into very small cubes a little larger than the size of a pea. I sauteed that squash with some olive oil, salt pepper and fresh or dried Thyme. The size of the squash doesn't matter at all, I just cut it up this small for Dorothy. But I will say it was super fun to eat, kind of like a yummier version of mixed vegetables, you know, the pea, lima bean, carrot cubes that haunted us all as kids. If you liked them you are weird but I understand.