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I made this chunky, hunky family sized Healthy Meatloaf for dinner tonight. Went down a treat. Only two slices left and they are already fighting over the leftovers.
This Clean version of a family sized Meatloaf is more than gimme-some-more delicious. It’s also Gluten free. I use quinoa to add more of a loaf texture, instead of traditional breadcrumbs, as my daughter is gluten intolerant.
PLEASE NOTE: This is a FAMILY SIZED Meatloaf. It’s a biggie. Extremely generous and serves 6 people with ease (with a couple slices for leftovers).
I’ve snuck a little zucchini in the mix. Just because I could. You can easily replace the zucchini for carrot, squash or any other chopped up leftover veggies.
Not much skill required for this family dinner recipe either. It’s not going to flop no matter how many cooks are in the kitchen.
How to Make Clean Eating Meatloaf
STEP 1: Fry your onions and garlic in a little olive oil until soft
STEP 2: Mix up your Meatloaf Mix and shape into a loaf
STEP 3: Mix up your sauce and pour it over the Meatloaf
STEP 4: Bake in the oven for 1hr at 375’F / 190’C
And that is it.
Serve it up with some easy sides. Our favourite is mashed potato, but we had that last night. So I made these crispy roast potatoes and grilled the rest of our Zucchini. YUM!
Recipe Notes:
- This is a hand shaped loaf. It keeps it shape really well in the oven
- Use UNCOOKED Quinoa when mixing your meatloaf. As the quinoa cooks it absorbs some of the liquid in the meatloaf. This gives it a more ‘loafy’ texture and structure.
- I only apply about 2/3 of the glaze before I put the meatloaf in the oven. The remaining glaze gets spread over the meatloaf about 10 minutes before taking it out the oven. I honestly have no idea if this makes any difference to the recipe. It’s just the way I’ve always done it :)
- Leftover Meatloaf is just as good the next day.
Clean Eating Meatloaf {Family Sized}
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 Onion finely diced, medium sized, 140g
- 2 cloves garlic crushed, about 1 teaspoon
- 2 lb Beef Mince
- 3 eggs free range
- 1 zucchini grated, approx 120g
- 1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard or dijon
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp Oregano dried or fresh
- 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp chilli powder leave this out if the kids are small
Glaze Topping
- 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F / 190C
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Heat a pan on the stovetop and heat up olive oil. Fry onions and garlic until soft. This adds to the flavour and results in no crunchy bits in the meatloaf. Which always seems to please my fussy kids.
- In a large bowl: Add all Meatloaf ingredients (not the glaze ingredients).
- Mix together (best way is to use your hands) until well combined.
- Tip your meatloaf mix onto the baking tray and use your hands to shape into a loaf.
- In a bowl: Mix together apple cider vinegar, tomato paste and maple syrup.
- Spoon the sauce onto your meatloaf and spread it over the top. Keep about a third of it in the bowl and spread it over the meatloaf about 10 minutes before removing it from the oven.
- Bake your glazed meatloaf for 1hr at 375F / 190'C.
- Allow your cooked Meatloaf to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into slices. It gets easier to cut when it's a bit cooler.
Notes
- Keep your meatloaf in the fridge in an aitight container for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: You can prep your meatloaf ahead and freeze the UNCOOKED meatloaf for up to 3 months. Thaw before cooking as usual.
- Serve with your favourite veggie sides
