Since I am back to eating meat on my low-sodium/migraine/modified paleo diet, I have been playing around with older recipes. Meatloaf was always a favorite; I just needed to revise it to fit all the restrictions of my new diet. This version is hearty and flavorful, topped with homemade sauce thickened almost to a paste.
My mom made meatloaf fairly often. Her version included Wonder Bread, eggs, onions and celery, and ground beef on sale.
The renovation:
My updated meatloaf uses grass-fed beef (very important!) and sustainably raised pork mixed 50/50. Make sure the mixture is not fattier than 85%/15%… even if you are increasing your saturated fat intake, it becomes unpalatable with more fat added. Green onions stand in for the onions (not allowed on the migraine diet), and the homemade sauce combines fresh cherry tomatoes and tomato paste. I used two egg yolks and one egg to bind it well and keep the sodium down. (Nearly all the sodium is in the egg whites.) Ground flax seeds add just enough dryness to bind the mixture as well.
Suitable for:
paleo, migraine, low-sodium, gluten-free, reduced-sugar, dairy-free, GFCF diets
Not for:
vegetarian or vegan diets
You might also like:
Paleo meat loaf from Paleo Leap
Italian meatloaf (and several other versions) from PaleOMG
Paleo meatloaf with surprise hard-boiled eggs inside from Everyday Maven
Meatloaf | Paleo, migraine-friendly, low-sodium
Ingredients
Sauce
- 8 ounces mushrooms cremini
- 4 shallots (5-6 ounces, 150 g)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 bunch onions (green) scallions, spring onions
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 8 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 6 ounces tomato paste no salt added
- 1 tsp basil (dried)
- 1 tsp oregano (dried)
Meatloaf
- 16 ounces beef (grass-fed) ground, or a mixture of ground beef and ground pork, 85% lean
- 2 eggs pastured
- 1 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp flax seeds (ground)
Instructions
- Clean the cremini mushrooms using a damp towel. Thinly slice.
- Peel and mince the shallots and garlic cloves.
- Wash the green onions, remove the tops, bottoms, and any bad leaves. Slice thinly.
- Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat.
- Sauté the onions, shallots, and garlic about 5 minutes until starting to turn gold.
- Add the mushrooms and turn up the heat to medium-high. Sauté until golden brown.
- Remove 1/2 cup of the mixture and set aside.
- Blend the cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1 cup (250 ml) filtered water.
- Add the tomato blend and the spices. Turn down the heat and simmer the sauce for 15 minutes.
- Continue to simmer on low until the meatloaf is cooked. The sauce should reduce to very thick, almost a paste.
Meatloaf
- Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/gas mark 4.
- In a large bowl, add the meat, eggs, flax seeds, reserved vegetables, and 1/2 cup sauce. Mix with your hands or a large spoon just until well blended. (Overmixing toughens the meat.)
- If you are using a regular bread pan, line it with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray. If using silicone pans, just set them on a baking sheet.
- Fill the pan(s) and smooth the top(s) with a spatula.
- Bake for 45 minutes for a single pan, 15 minutes for 6 mini loaf pans.
- Spread the remaining thickened sauce evenly on the top(s) of the meatloaf and bake another 15 minutes.
Notes
- 280 calories
- 18 g fat
- 9 g saturated fat
- 4 g monounsaturated fat
- 1 g polyunsaturated fat
- 1 g trans fat
- 129 g cholesterol
- 95 mg sodium
- 482 mg potassium
- 11 g carbohydrate
- 3 g fiber
- 5 g sugars
- 20 g protein
- 7 Weight Watchers Points Plus
Stephanie, Hi! I’ve basically been a vegetarian for years, so don’t have a lot of experience with preparing beef. Can the meatloaf be frozen and, if so, how do you thaw/reheat it? Best, Latimer
Hi Lati, I was vegetarian for many years and vegan for four years, so I totally understand! Yes, this freezes very well. I recommend pre-slicing it and wrapping each slice individually. You can defrost in a microwave until thawed, and then heat with a microwave. You could also allow to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and then heat in the oven at 325 until hot through. Enjoy!
I did not know about sodium in egg white instead of the yolk!
I’m a big meatloaf fan. I also need more mushroom recipes. Yum!
Thanks Maggie! Enjoy!
YUM! I loooove meatloaf. Mushrooms are a great addition. Amp up that umami!
Yes, they are very savory with the mushrooms. You need that without the salt.
This looks really good–those ingredients listed would make it tasty.
Thanks Bonnie, always nice to hear from you! You’ve been a reader from the beginning!