Low Carb Meatloaf

Most of the basic low carb meatloaf recipes I've tried are either bland or include binders or tomato sauces which add too many carbs.

So I came up with my own recipe, and it is totally delicious. I've made lots of meatloaf in my quest for one that was moist, flavorful and low carb to boot, and I've finally gotten the combination of ingredients to my liking. I hope you like it too.

Ellen's Low Carb Meatloaf

½ cup almond flour
½ cup dry grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tablespoons butter for sautéing
8 ounces chopped white onion (measure by weight)
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, chopped fine*
1 tablespoon thyme leaves*
¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves*
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 T Ellen's Low Carb Barbecue sauce
¼ cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
2 pounds 85% ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage

*dried spices can be used in half amounts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 x 15 glass baking dish with butter. Set aside.
In a small deep bowl, whisk almond flour and Parmesan cheese together. Set aside.
Heat butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and pepper; sauté until softened, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool while preparing remaining ingredients.
Once the mixture is cooled enough, run through a food processor for several seconds to mince the vegetables to fine consistency.
In another small deep bowl, whisk eggs with spices, salt, pepper, mustard, BBQ sauce and cream. Sprinkle gelatin over mixture and let stand 5 minutes. Add minced onion mixture and mix well. Set aside.
Place ground beef and Italian sausage on a large cutting board or work surface. With clean hands, or a pastry mixer, mix the beef and sausage together, making sure no large chunks of sausage are left unmixed.
It helps to chop both meats into small chunks before mixing. Don’t knead the meat for longer than 5 minutes, as it toughens the meat.
Return low carb meatloaf mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the egg mixture and mix well. (Once the liquid is incorporated, you can turn the mixture out onto the work surface again, to make it easier to mix in dry ingredients.)
Add the almond flour mixture. Mix until evenly blended and meat mixture is no longer sticky. (If mixture is still sticking, add additional shredded Parmesan, a tablespoon at a time until the meat no longer sticks.)
Place in the glass baking dish, forming it into a loaf and leaving about an inch of room on all sides. Flatten the top of the loaf shape a little so that it cooks evenly.
Bake loaf until browned and an inserted cooking thermometer registers 160 degrees. Estimated cooking time is about 1 hour. Cool at least 20 minutes. Slice meat loaf and serve.

Nutrition Info: Makes 12 servings, 5 ounces each. Each serving has 409 calories, 33 grams of fat, 23 grams of protein, 5 grams of carb, and 1 gram of fiber.

Variations for this Low Carb Meatloaf:

Mince 8 slices of cooked bacon in food processor, add to the egg mixture along with the onions. Bake as usual. Nutrition Info: Makes 12 servings, 5 ounces each. Each serving has 485 calories, 36 grams of fat, 24 grams of protein, 5 grams of carb, and 1 gram of fiber.
Add 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese to the meat mixture. Bake as usual. Nutrition Info: Makes 12 servings, 5 ounces each. Each serving has 485 calories, 39 grams of fat, 28 grams of protein, 6 grams of carb, and 1 gram of fiber.

This meatloaf is excellent, but if you looking for something really rich, check out my other Decadent Low Carb Meatloaf recipe.

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