Fall is here and the temperatures are beginning to drop a bit, so it’s time for another comfort food recipe. There’s nothing quite like meatloaf for a cozy and simple meal.
A few weeks ago, this delicious-sounding recipe made the rounds on Facebook. I decided I had to try it and, of course, make it low carb. With only a few changes to amounts and one real substitution, this meatloaf is delicious and lower in carbohydrates than the original. For the bread crumbs, I used one of my low carb sandwich rolls, but you can make a basic magic muffin, lightly toast it, then put it through a food processor to reduce it to crumbs. For the pasta sauce, I used Classico Vodka Sauce, which is about 8 carbs per half cup.
For a quick to make dinner with lots of Italian flavor, this meatloaf is perfect. It makes enough servings to leave a little extra for meatloaf sandwiches if you’d like.
Italian-Style Meatloaf
1 pound Ground Beef
1/2 pound ground Mild Italian Sausage
1/2 cup Onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped Bell Pepper
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
1 Egg, beaten
3/4 Low Carb Bread Crumbs
1 T. Cream or Half and Half
1 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
3/4 cup Pasta Sauce
Preheat oven to 400 degrees (F.)
Heat a small skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and let it get hot. Add the onion and chopped peppers and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
In a medium mixing bowl, add the ground beef and sausage along with the onions, peppers, olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, egg, bread crumbs, Italian seasoning, and cream. Mix together with your clean hands or a wooden spoon. Add 1/2 cup pasta sauce, Parmesan Cheese, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella. Mix well.
Put the mixed meatloaf into a loaf pan or a deep baking pan about 9″x6″ and form into an even loaf. I used my Copper Chef Loaf Pan with an inset that allows for the excess grease to drain below the bottom, so I can get a nice crust and less oils on the bottom. But it isn’t necessary.
Spoon 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce on the top and spread it around. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes. Pull it out and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Put it back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes to melt the cheese.
Baking time may vary depending on how thick your loaf is. If you have a larger round but shorter than 3″ loaf, it may take less time, so check on it after about 25 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, it is done at 160 degrees.
Makes 6 servings.
