I was completely and totally obsessed with old-fashioned meatloaf. Unfortunately, it’s not entirely gluten free for as the name would suggest; it’s actual minced meat emulating a loaf of bread. A lot of commercial meatloaves are packed with fillers, and they have very real meat at all. When am craving some iron and something savory, but low in carbs- this seems to be my go-to-meal.
Often times, you will find you have everything you need for this dish right in your pantry. And not surprisingly, you will feel as if you’re emptying your pantry on this meal. But trust me, the flavor is not overcharged- it’s just right. You’ll have to try it! The best part about this dish, you can assemble it the night before, cover it in aluminum foil and leave it in your fridge. When you come home the following night, all you have to do is bake at 350 for 40 minutes while you tend to something else and voila- dinner is cooking for you with minimal intervention. Definitely my kind of deal these days.
Don’t be afraid of pancetta or butter. We need to eat fat in order to burn fat. I would much rather use real foods, as opposed to their low-fat artificially engineered counterparts like margarine.
Easy Paleo Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground meat (it could be beef, chicken, or turkey- the choice is yours!)
- 1 finely chopped or grated red onion
- 1/2 cup of chives
- 1 cup of fresh crimini or oyster mushrooms
- 1 cup of finely grated carrots
- 1 cup of finely grated red cabbage
- 1 tablespoons of grass fed butter
- 1/2 cup of cooked pancetta (ensure the oil has been drained)
- 1/4 cup of dried Mexican “chile morron” (optional)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup of Gluten Free breadcrumbs (optional, you could also add 1/4 cup cornstarch)
- 1/2 tsp of sea salt
- 1 tbsp of paprika
- 1/2 tbsp of ground cumin
Instructions
Please note; the 1 cup of red cabbage the recipe calls for is pickled. I let it sit in vinegar and sea salt for at least 24 hours. If you don’t like pickled cabbage, you can completely omit this part. OR you could add regular red cabbage on top for that “crunch factor,” minus the acidity.
1. Preheat your oven on “Bake” to 350F. First, we place the meat in a large enough bowl that will allow for adequate mixing. I like to add the salt followed by the grated or minced red onion. Peel the onion and use a fine grater and place it over the meat. Yes, I use a full red onion, and I promise you that you will barely feel it’s there. The flavor punch is incredible! No spice can make up for this.
2.I then add the tbsp of paprika, the chile morron, the mushrooms, the chives, pancetta & carrots. I like to sauté the mushrooms and the pancetta together and the mix tastes heavenly! You don’ need any oil to cook them, the fat from the pancetta will be absorbed by the mushrooms and they will probably be the BEST mushrooms you’ve ever tried in your life. I then add them both to the mixture already cooked.
3. I then crack the egg and whisk it well by hand as if to make an omelette. I fold the egg into the mixture followed by the GF bread crumbs, and then mix everything by hand until everything has been equally pulled in and absorbed.
4. I like to use a medium-sized glass pyrex and grease it ever so slightly with the tablespoon of grass fed butter. I then proceed to press the mixture in with my hands and layer it evenly across the pan.
5. The finishing touch is the pickled cabbage which is placed on top of the meat mixture right before it goes into the oven. It bakes for 40-50 minutes. I like to serve this with rice or mashed potatoes. I always cut an avocado and some tomato slices as sides. Happy Eating!!
