Mama’s meatloaf

Mama’s meatloaf sounds like a hand-written family heirloom recipe passed down through generations; a tattered, sacred, grease-splattered note with words written in such fine cursive it’s almost impossible to read. Well, I’d like to tell you that were true here, but in this case, I’m Mama and this is MY meatloaf recipe. Maybe one day my kids will pass down this recipe to their kids and grandkids and so on, and perhaps it will become our prized family recipe…..ahh I digress, sigh.

I had made meatloaf a handful of times for my hubby in the first few years of our marriage, but then it became old news. I just started cooking other things and left meatloaf behind. It wasn’t until our firstborn, our son was old enough to eat table food that I brought this dish back into our family repertoire. I can remember specifically one week I made meatloaf, my grandmother came over for dinner and my little three-year-old ate almost three whole generously cut slices himself, with all the sides and fixins I had prepared mind you. He ate more than she did and she couldn’t believe it! Now my kids are pretty hefty eaters, especially when they seem to be going through growth spurts, so my husband and I weren’t quite as excited as my grandmother was over this toddler phenomenon. Needless to say, my son, and now our daughter too, loves Mama’s meatloaf, and I even get him involved in the kitchen to help me make it. It’s simple and it’s perfect for a potluck or a family meal that will provide a couple days’ worth of leftovers. Sometimes I use all ground beed, sometimes I use a combination of beef and pork, and sometimes I use ground venison – whatever ground meat I have in the freezer that I can defrost quickly.

I keep my recipe gluten free, as all meals and snacks in our house, by using sprouted gluten-free oats as a binder in place of traditional breadcrumbs. I grind my oats in our mini food processor with garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper. I only use a half cup of oats per pound of ground meat – I simply want the oats to add a little texture and serve as a delicate binder for the meat. If you prefer to omit the oats or any other binder all together, the meat will still hold up just fine in its classic “loaf” form. I then toss in some coconut aminos, as a cleaner, gluten-free and sugar-free replacement to Worcestershire sauce. I knead the meat by hand in a large bowl, then dump it into a glass baking dish and hand-form it into a loaf. I top the meatloaf with a clean-ingredient ketchup with no added sugar, such as Primal Kitchen (this is our favorite), and usually I mix the ketchup with Primal Kitchen Steak Sauce or Primal Kitchen BBQ sauce. All of these Primal Kitchen sauces have zero processed sugar, zero gums or added oils – they are clean jeans and we love them! Depending on what flavor you’re in the mood for, you can stick with just a classic ketchup topping, or go a tad smoky with the addition of the bbq sauce, or even a bit more umami-savory with the steak sauce. I have made this recipe all three ways, and each one has turned out to be a two-thumbs-up from my family. I always serve my meatloaf with a green veggie, such as broccoli or Brussels sprouts or green beans, and steamed rice or roasted potatoes (again, whatever I have in my fridge and pantry). It’s a well-rounded meal that my family loves and I’m sure your family will love it too!

Mama’s meatloaf

2 lbs. ground meat (beef, venison, or beef and pork)
2 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. granulated onion
2 tsp. dried thyme
salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup sprouted gluten-free rolled oats
2-3 Tbsp. coconut aminos
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened ketchup, or 1/4 cup unsweetened ketchup + 1/4 cup unsweetened bbq or steak sauce

Preheat the oven to 350F. In mini food processor, grind the oats with the granulated garlic, granulated onion, thyme, salt and black pepper. Pulse the oat mixture into a coarse grind and dump the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Add the meat to the bowl and then pour in the coconut aminos. Gently knead the meat and work it into the other ingredients until everything is evenly distributed. Next, dump the meat mixture into a large glass baking dish and form it into a loaf shape. If you’re using just ketchup, top the meatloaf with the ketchup; if you’re using ketchup plus the steak sauce or bbq sauce, mix the ketchup with the other sauce of your choice, then slather onto the top of the meatloaf. Bake at 350F for at least one hour or until the meat is cooked through in the very center and there is no pink visible. Serve with a green veggie and roasted potatoes or steamed rice. Enjoy!