I can’t even begin to count how many times I have stood in front of the open fridge, staring at the meat drawer, thinking “What am I going to make for dinner?”. It’s not like the contents of the drawer will magically change, I could just close the fridge and figure it out, but I think “If I stare hard enough, dinner will magically just appear, right?”.
Family Ready Paleo Meatloaf
Our family loves this recipe, our kids can’t get enough. This Paleo Meatloaf doesn’t include the traditional ingredients that end up adding in unnecessary grains. It’s also the perfect food to add in to the regular dinner and leftover routine. And the best part? It’s quick and easy.
Meatloaf Muffins
The other night, I just caved and said “Fine! Meatloaf muffins it is!”. I grew up with ketchup smothered meatloaf and I really like it, so I decided to go that route. And since the clock was speeding towards 6 o-clock and I knew the dreaded “mooooommmmm, when are we eating?” was coming, I decided on muffins instead of an entire loaf.
Paleo Ketchup
I quickly made some Paleo Balsamic Ketchup, threw some ingredients in a bowl (cassava flour is necessary to keep this grain-free), and 20 minutes later, dinner was on the table. I’m pretty sure that by making meat-muffins instead of a whole loaf had 2 effects:
- It didn’t dry out, since the muffin cups kept most of the juices in the meat and not drained in the bottom of a large loaf pan.
- The kids really liked them and wanted more (tiny food tastes better, it’s a scientific fact).
Also, if you pipe mashed potatoes from an open-star frosting tip, even the potato-haters (ie: my youngest) will gobble them up. Just so you know.
Classic Mini Meatloaf Muffins {grain-free; dairy-free}
Meatloaf is a great easy dinner to throw together, but it takes SO long to cook. These little muffins cook faster and anything mini is better by default.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ground Beef
- 1 small Yellow Onion, diced small
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Otto's Cassava Flour
- 1/3 cup Paleo Balsamic Ketchup, + more for topping/dipping
- 2 Tbsp Yellow Mustard, Sir Kensington's Dijon Mustard is great if you're not on a Whole30
- Sea Salt, to taste
- Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix until evenly combined. Just get in there with your freshly washed hands, gross as it might feel. It's the most effective method.
- Scoop out 1/3 cup of the meat mixture and roll it into a ball, then place it in a cup of a regular muffin pan. Repeat until all muffin cups are filled.
- Pour a teaspoon or two of ketchup onto each meatloaf, spreading it to cover the entire top surface.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until no longer pink inside. Use a large spoon to scoop the meatloaves out and onto a serving plate. Serve with extra ketchup, if desired.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week. They are best cut in half and reheated in the oven/toaster oven at 350°F until heated through (just a few minutes, not too long).
Notes
- This recipe makes approximately 18-20 mini meatloaves, so unless you have 2 muffin tins, you will need to split this into 2 batches. You can place the second batch directly into the grease from the previous batch, but do clean out any grease leftover in cups that will be unused in the second batch.
Nutrition Information
Yield 20 Serving Size 1 mini meatloafAmount Per Serving Calories 135Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 3gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 48mgSodium 70mgCarbohydrates 2gProtein 8g
Nutrition is calculated by a third party and may not be 100% accurate
Emily
Thursday 11th of February 2021
Can these be frozen?
Kendra Benson
Friday 12th of February 2021
I haven't frozen them yet, but I think they should freeze just fine (though I'd thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating).
Kendra Benson
Monday 9th of January 2017
@Victoria, I have not tried this with any other flour, so I can't say for sure how they would turn out with anything else. If you try coconut flour, only use 1/4 to 1/3 of what is called for in the recipe, since it absorbs much more liquid. Almond flour may be a similar quantity, but have more on hand just in case you need it to hold everything together.
Victoria C.
Sunday 8th of January 2017
I am not familiar with cassava flour and would have to order online in order to get it. Could you use some other whole 30 compliant flour like almond meal or coconut flour?
Stacey
Saturday 2nd of March 2019
This is an amazing recipe! I used coconut flour in this recipe, and accidentally used the same amount that you would use if it were Cassava flour and the meatballs held together perfectly.
Kendra Benson
Monday 9th of January 2017
I have not tried this with any other flour, so I can't say for sure how they would turn out with anything else. If you try coconut flour, only use 1/4 to 1/3 of what is called for in the recipe, since it absorbs much more liquid. Almond flour may be a similar quantity, but have more on hand just in case you need it to hold everything together.
Victoria C.
Sunday 8th of January 2017
I am not familiar with cassava flour and would have to order online in order to get it. Could you use some other whole 30 compliant flour like almond meal or coconut flour?
Corinne Gammichia
Sunday 25th of September 2016
i am reading your recipes for hours! i cannot stop. this is so great! i love that there is so much variety and that some are truly simple for the kids. thanks