Paleo Meatloaf with Ketchup Glaze

Meatloaf prepared Paleo-style! Ground turkey and beef make a juicy blend, mixed with vegetables, parsley and chives. Then topped with a caramelized ketchup glaze.

If I could have stuffed this giant Italian meatball in my brown, paper bag lunch, I would have. Yes, I was an elementary school oddball who loved her Brussel sprouts, broccoli and meatloaf! I was never one who could have traded her lunch for a classmates' fruit roll-ups or fries. My pita pockets and apples were ahead of their times. But had my mom packed up this meatloaf for me, I wouldn't have traded it for anything!

Now, fast forward, I took my family's beloved recipe and made it gluten free, dairy free and Paleo, just for you. This Paleo meatloaf is so tender and juicy, mixed with fragrant parsley and chives, and topped with a plate-licking-good molasses, ketchup glaze. The carrots and celery add a delicious texture to the ground meat, as well as color.

Back in the day, I may have hid my love for meatloaf from my friends, but now I'm baking these loafs and revolutionizing their taste buds.

I think my mom would've been proud knowing her recipe was modified so that more people can enjoy it. Despite the modifications to a traditional meatloaf, it stood the ultimate taste test. I gifted it to friend who isn't gluten and dairy free and who also dislikes meatloaf. Her overwhelming response was just the reassurance I needed to get this recipe up!

About Meatloaf

Meatloaf originated in the fifth century in Europe and was made from scraps of meat and mixed with nuts and fruit for binding. American's embraced this easy, cheap dish in the 1870s as a way to use leftovers for not dinner, but breakfast! If you find this interesting, here's a post on the history of meatloaf.

If you're doubting meatloaf, I'm not surprise since the basis of the old-fashioned recipe are scraps and leftovers! But you can rest assure, you'll love this version! Made with only the freshest ingredients, like savory herbs, juicy meat and a homemade glaze, this recipe is prepared for culinary taste.

Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free.

Meatloaf is typically made with bread crumbs, milk and maybe some cheese and a pork blend.

Instead of the the bread crumbs, we'll use coconut flour, although you could use almond flour. Nuts are harder to digest and are higher FODMAP, so I use coconut flour for Paleo baking. If you follow a low-FODMAP diet, you'll want to omit the celery, maybe use a safe flour and a ketchup that's onion and garlic free. The brand FODY has a variety of great low-FODMAP products.

If you avoid eggs, I've also made this recipe with flax eggs and it turned out great! This recipe is very forgiving so don't be shy to try an egg or flour substitute that works best for you. The first step to make this "giant meatball" is to sauté the carrots and celery until they're tender. Then, simple mix all the ingredients together and bake it in the oven for 50 minutes.

If you are making this for your family or for four people or more, I recommend doubling the recipe which will still fit in a 10" loaf pan. You'll just need to adjust the cooking time. Remember, you can always use a cooking thermometer to check the right internal temp; ground meat should read 160 ºF.

The Glaze

If I had to choose between mustard and ketchup, I'd pick mustard all the way. But this is the one time I look forward to ketchup—meatloaf is nothing without this tangy, sweet ketchup glaze!

We'll make it with Annie's organic ketchup, dried mustard, molasses and brown sugar, and add apple cider vinegar to cut through the sweetness. It creates an amazing balance with the savory meat, especially after it bakes in the oven for 10 minutes and becomes warm and caramelized.

Enjoy it for a quick breakfast with a vegetable side, dinner or pack it up in Tupperware in a brown paper bag for lunch. :)

Print here: Carrot, Ginger & Orange Dressing

Prep time: 00:10 Cook time: 01:00 Servings: 4

Meatloaf

1 1/2 lbs of ground turkey (or 1/2 lb lean, ground beef and 1/2 lb ground turkey) 3/4 c almond milk 2 t coconut flour* 2 t fresh parsley, chopped 1 tsp salt 2 eggs (or flax eggs) 2 t chives, diced (or 1/4 c onion, finely chopped)* 1 tsp italian seasoning 1/4 carrots 1/4 celery*

Glaze

1/3 c ketchup* 1 t brown sugar (or preferred sugar)* 1 tsp dry mustard 1/2 tsp molasses 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Recipe Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350º. Chop carrots, celery and parsley, and set aside.

2. Make glaze: Mix together the ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Meat mixture: Combine the eggs, milk. Then stir in the coconut flour, chives (or onions), seasoning and parsley. Add the meat and mix.

4. Put the meat mixture into a 9" or 10" loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes (increase baking time if doubling recipe).

5. After the meat cooks for 50 min, drain fat and spread ketchup mixture on top. Return to oven for 10 more minutes. When done, let it rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Additional Notes

*For low-FODMAP diet: use gluten-free bread crumbs or flour (I haven't tested another flour, so not sure which one would work best). Use chives, not onion, and sub celery with another vegetable. Use a garlic- and onion-free ketchup (FODY brand). *For strict Paleo, sub brown sugar with coconut sugar. I use brown sugar because it caramelizes nicely!