So Rusty absolutely loves meatloaf, which is great because it’s a relatively simple meal to prepare. BUT what complicates things is that he is incredibly particular about the meatloaf that he likes. I am pretty sure there’s nothing that pisses him off more than dry meatloaf (ok that might be a little extreme, but this is serious stuff). So when I decided to take on the task of making a paleo meatloaf, I knew there was a lot at stake. In fact, this was not my first try. The last time went so poorly, that I haven’t actually attempted it for over a year (let’s just say the hubs is really bad at hiding his emotions, which includes disgust). This time, though, after a lot of time in the kitchen and a much better understanding of recipe creating, things went much much better; there were no tears, we were all smiles, and our bellies were very full.
There is little that compares to having the kitchen filled with the smell of homemade meatloaf baking in the oven; it takes me back to childhood and dinners spent laughing around the table.
I decided to take that old favorite and clean it up a little bit, but I wanted to make sure that I didn’t sacrifice any flavor. This recipe calls for onions carrots and garlic, but you can really change it up and use any veggie you would like as a substitute. What really makes this delicious is the loads of ketchup (I went with Sir Kensington’s because it is clean, organic, and delicious). Most ketchups have a bit of sugar, so if you buy some, go for organic and low sugar (preferably organic pure sugar… the less processed the better). The seasoning here is also imperative. As is the decision to use high-quality, fat-filled ground meat. Please no ground turkey or chicken. Or at least just don’t tell me about it. The importance of grass fed red meat should never be overlooked, but that’s for later post (currently underway, actually).
*the ingredients in Sir Kensington’s ketchup are: Tomatoes, Tomato Paste, Organic Sugar, Onions, Organic Distilled Vinegar, Salt, Lime Juice Concentrate, Green Bell Peppers, Allspice, Citric Acid. While there is some sugar, the total count in a serving of this meatloaf is about 2 g, so I am not worried about it. What really matters is that it’s free of gluten, vegetable oils, soy, and additives.
And my secret ingredient? Liver… don’t worry, it’s optional, and I know most of you won’t include it, BUT if you’re curious, check out THIS post on why it might be a cool idea to sneak some in there. I cooked a couple livers in the crock pot with homemade bone broth, seasoning, garlic and carrots, and then pureed all of it. I threw in about 1/3 cup into my meatloaf in place of some of the ketchup, and holy yum. Just throwing it out there… take it or leave it, of course.
Anyways, I introduce to you a moist (I hate that word) deliciously flavorful Paleo meatloaf, with Rusty’s approval, of course.
Secret Ingredient Paleo Meatloaf (GF, DF, NF)
WHAT YOU NEED:
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil or grass fed butter (I used Paleo Butter)
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 carrots, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/4 lbs ground red meat (grass-fed beef, lamb, buffalo)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1 cup Ketchup (HERE is a good recipe if you have time to make your own)
- 2 teaspoons liquid coconut aminos
- at least 3 tsp of your favorite dry spices (I used thyme, oregano, rosemary, and black pepper)
- 2 tsp sea salt
WHAT YOU DO:
- preheat oven to 350º F and line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper
- in a sauté pan, over medium low heat, add the cooking fat, onions , garlic, and carrots and cook until they are soft but not browned
- combine ground meat, eggs, coconut flour, 3/4 cup of the ketchup, spices, and aminos and mix with your hands (make sure there are no coconut flour clumps)
- then add the sautéed veggies and garlic and mix until combined evenly
- place in the baking pan and spread the remaining ketchup evenly on top
- bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 160º F (*note: put a pan of hot water in the oven under the meatloaf to keep the top from cracking)
- remove from oven and allow loaf to cool for 10 minutes
- slice and serve hot, and save extras for leftovers*
*NOTE: To reheat: put whatever amount you would like to heat up in a small baking dish, pour 1/4 – 1/2 cup of homemade broth over the meatloaf and put in the oven at 400º F for about 20 minutes (I think it gets better with time)
Let me know what you think in the comments below. If you try this one out, I would love to hear about it. Have a great week!
Excellent meatloaf Laura. Made it and ate it. Thanks Laura. Looking forward to more.
I’m so glad you liked it! That makes my day. We had it for lunch and it’ll be dinner too. Thanks, Bill!