Bread crumbs are the traditional binder in meatloaf. In an effort to make a low carb and gluten free meatloaf, I tried leaving out the breadcrumbs and not substituting anything else in it’s place. Even though it was tasty, the texture was too dense and the meatloaf seemed like one big hamburger.
Our favorite wheat substitute to the rescue – almond meal. It works perfectly and results in a meatloaf with that distinct meatloaf-y texture.
This is especially good with my gluten free gravy. Even though the gravy is made with chicken broth, it still works with the meatloaf. You can, of course, substitute beef broth for the chicken broth and that will be good too. A handful of sliced sautéed mushrooms, added to the gravy, is a great addition.
Meatloaf - Low Carb, Gluten Free, Sugar Free
Serves: Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped fine
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce like Tobasco
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt or whole milk
- 2 pounds ground beef or ground dark meat turkey
- 2/3 cup almond meal (also called almond flour)
- 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Heat oil in a medium pan. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and stir, cooking for another minute. Remove pan from heat and let onions cool.
- In a large bowl mix eggs with thyme, salt, pepper, mustard, hot sauce, and yogurt or milk. Add the onion mixture and mix well. Add the meat to egg mixture and mix with a fork or your hands until evenly blended.
- Line a shallow baking pan with foil (for easy clean up) and grease lightly with spray or oil. Turn meat mixture onto pan and pat into an approximately 9 inch x 5 inch loaf shape.
- Bake until loaf registers 160° on an instant read thermometer stuck in the middle, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil and cool for 15-20 minutes so that meatloaf doesn't crumble when sliced.
- Serve with gluten free gravy.
