So I've come to the realization that when little baby C comes, I'm probably not going to be able to stick with my Sunday routine of strolling around Whole Foods and farmers markets for hours (yes, I said hours - as sad as that is) figuring out what I'm going to cook for the week. If I want to be supermom and continue making homemade meals, I'll have to be a bit smarter with my time.
With this in mind, I'm starting to use >gasp< grocery lists! I figure out what I'm going to make, then write down the ingredients, then when I get to the grocery store, I just buy the things on that list! (Except the occasional splurge item for fun). This past week, I rummaged through the freezer to see what I had... I found sweet Italian sausage and some ground beef. I had made spaghetti squash with meat sauce last week, so I didn't want to do anything Italian... so... I decided to go all-American and make meatloaf!
Triple Meat Meatloaf
* 1 lb ground beef
* 1 lb Italian sausage
* 1 handful fresh parsley
* 4 cloves of garlic, minced
* 6 slices of bacon
* 1 yellow onion, diced
* 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
* 1 egg
* 1 tbs mustard (I used stone ground)
* salt and pepper
First, I put the sausage and the ground beef in a bowl. I removed the casing from the sausage. I used sweet Italian because that's what I had in the freezer, but use whatever you have!
Next, I just added in all the other ingredients, except the bacon. I chopped the parsley up pretty finely. I bought a huge bunch of it at the store, but saved the rest for other recipes. If you still have extras, freeze them and save them for making chicken stock!
Next, I mixed everything by hand. I'm sure you could use a spoon or fork or something if you're one of those people who doesn't like to touch raw meat. Personally, I feel like I have a better sense of how well everything is combined if I can actually feel it. Make sure everything is well combined, especially the egg. The last thing you want when you bite into the meatloaf is one big bite of cooked egg! Most meatloaves call for breadcrumbs soaked in milk or crumbled Ritz crackers or something like that.... the theory is that it keeps everything moist. I find that it's completely unnecessary (and un-Paleo).
Next, I formed the mixture into a "loaf." It's kinda like playing with play doh. You just keep patting and pushing at it until it is in the shape you like. I formed it in a loaf and set it on a cooling rack, set inside a jelly roll pan. Many people just throw the whole thing in a loaf pan, which is totally fine. I just wanted mine to cook all the way through and not sit in it's juices or become soggy. Others may feel, though, that sitting in its juices will help add flavor... to each their own!
Next, I wrapped the whole stinkin thing in bacon... yup... bacon. I've seen people do this before and I decided to do it because: I love the flavor of bacon and I had some. :)
So, after the whole thing is nicely wrapped, I just gave it one more pat down and threw it in the oven at 350.
It didn't take too long to cook, relatively speaking. It was in the oven for about an hour. The bacon crisped up really nicely and also served as a little insulation to keep all of the yummy flavors in the meatloaf. Like all meat, you want to let the meatloaf rest a bit so all of the juices don't run out.
So here's the final product! What is meatloaf without mashers? Rather than mashed potatoes, I used mashed cauliflower. It's super easy to make and tastes delicious!
I thought the meatloaf was very moist and flavorful. I don't think anyone would notice the fact that there is no bread or anything in the meatloaf. The only thing I think was missing was some ketchup! I know, I know, ketchup isn't paleo, but having a tiny bit of ketchup every once in a while isn't the end of the world to me :) If you're truly a Paleo person, you could always make some Paleo ketchup on your own!
Enjoy,
Jenn
