Meat Loaf

Meat Loaf. Simple. Comfort food for some of us. This was always one of my kids' favorite dishes growing up. There is nothing fancy about this dish...it is easy to make and tastes great either hot as a main dish or served cold on a sandwich (my favorite!). This is also the same meat recipe that I use for my cabbage rolls & stuffed peppers. I just tweaked it with some gluten free crumbs & onion soup mix to make it gluten free! My kids always liked it served with mashed potatoes and green beans and my personal favorite is served cold on soft bread (I like Udi's gluten free bread) with mustard the way my dad used to like his. I remember packing my lunch at school and if I opened up my lunch box (my mom packed our lunches for us) and there was a meatloaf sandwich...well it was almost like hitting the lottery! :)

There are a lot of ways to make meat loaf but this is the way my mom made it (except she made it with regular bread or cracker crumbs instead of gluten free ones) and this is the way my family likes it. I have friends that make it with rice or chunks of moist bread or green peppers, oats, etc. Basically,  you can make meat loaf with whatever you want. You can also make these into meat balls or mini loaves or muffin pans and freeze them for later. My husband prefers his meat loaf made into little hamburger patties and cooked in the cast iron skillet. Like I said...this recipe is easy and you can tweak it to make it work for many other uses besides meat loaf! If you don't have a gluten allergy...just use regular bread or cracker crumbs in place of the gluten free ones. (And if you prefer having rice or oats instead of crumbs then just swap it out cup for cup). You can also add chopped onions or peppers if you prefer. I like mine just the way my mom made it...except for the gluten free version now!

I found the Onion Soup Mix (gluten free) at Albertson's grocery store for $1/box for Essential Everyday which is their store brand. 4C brand Onion soup mix is also gluten free and you can frequently find it at 99cent stores, Dollar Stores or at specialty stores. The Lentil crackers (not chips!) which taste like pita chips - I usually find at Home Goods, TJ Maxx or Ross stores for $2.99. You can also find them at some specialty stores but they are usually more costly. I used the Lentil crackers because I had them on hand but if not, I would have substituted finely crushed Tortilla chips (On the Border brand) instead.

Meat Loaf Recipe:

• 2 pounds of ground hamburger (I use 90-93% lean so I don't have grease in my pan)
• 1 envelope of onion soup mix (I used Essential Everyday brand from Albertson's which is gluten free, photo below)
• 1/3 cup ketchup (I  used Heinz) + extra for glaze on top if you like it that way or you can substitute BBQ sauce -  just make sure it is gluten free!
• 1/8 cup prepared yellow mustard (I used French's)
• 2 eggs
• 4 tbs. Worchestershire sauce (I used Lea & Perrins original which is gluten free)
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup gluten free finely crushed bread or cracker crumbs or tortilla chips (I used Lentil crackers which taste like pita chips, see photo below) Note: I have used Tortilla chips finely crushed in this recipe before and it turned out great also. I usually use "On the Border brand Tortilla chips because they are labeled gluten free on the package and I like the flavor/texture of them and you can find them at Walmart & Sam's club)

My gluten free items used in the recipe today

Mix all the ingredients together with clean hands in a big mixing bowl. Put meat loaf mixture in a bread loaf pan (or your muffin or mini loaf pans). Top with extra ketchup or BBQ sauce to make a glaze if desired. If making meat balls, you can bake on a cookie sheet. Bake 350 degrees for about 60-70 minutes for the loaf pan. Note: Mini loaf pans, muffins and meat balls will cook in less time, check your meat after about 20-25 minutes. Remove from oven. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting. 

Meat Loaf with Ketchup glaze on top

Sliced perfectly for sandwiches

Very moist, not dry and it has flavor but not overpowering

Enjoy!

Tanja

Gluten Free Casually