ARE MEATBALLS AND MEATLOAF THE SAME THING?
Nope! First off meatballs are balls and a meatloaf is a loaf. Pretty sure you figured that out. They do have more or less the same ingredients and could be interchangeable if you didn’t use ketchup. In my book, the star ingredient in meatloaf is the ketchup! This is what makes it different/special. Because this is such an important ingredient, I suggest you use the good stuff. What can be better than the homemade kind?
SHOULD I MAKE MY OWN KETCHUP?
Obviously because it tastes way better than store bought! Also if you have a blender it comes together in less than 3 minutes. For an extra bonus you can make it with no added sugar! So no more telling your kid to hold the ketchup, let them devour this one. I don’t know why but as soon as I bust out the ketchup my four year old will eat just about anything.
CAN MEATLOAF BE FROZEN?
It sure can which makes it a great make ahead dish. Once cooked slice it up and freeze individually. This way you have portion ready meals waiting for you in the freezer. When reheating, I suggest adding a bit more homemade ketchup on top to make it extras tasty.
THE SECRET SUPER FOOD INGREDIENT
OK first off, this meatloaf has hidden veggies which makes it a winner for kids. That’s not the secret ingredient though. The super food in this is liver! If you’ve never had it you may be thinking, no thank you! I’ll pass. Bear with me, it’s worth it. Once it’s all mixed up you won’t even know it’s there and you may start getting super powers? Pretty cool right?
Let’s take a look at what liver is. It. is an organ meat which is also referred to as “offal.” The word offal derives from the term “off fall,” referring to any part of an animal that falls away when it is butchered, such as the tail, feet, and testicles.
The most common type of liver on the market is chicken but you can also find liver from just about any animal. A major plus about liver is that it’s cheap! Even the grass-fed, local, organic kind. For this reason is well worth buying the purest kind possible. Now you’re wondering, why is all that amazing.
WHY IS LIVER GOOD FOR YOU?
It’s not the most common food these days but liver is truly a super food. It is one of the most nutrient dense foods and has well over 100% of the RDI for many essential nutrients. It is a powerful source of Vitamin A which helps reducing diseases that cause inflammation. Liver also contains folic acid, iron, chromium, copper, and zinc and is known to be particularly good for the heart.
It has one of the highest quality proteins and is low in calories which makes it a clear winner compared to muscle meats. It’s nutritional value is far superior as well.
You may think liver contains toxins but that is the opposite of the truth. The livers job is to rid the body of toxins and make them safe for the body so it does not actually store any toxins.
Super Food Meatloaf (Whole30, Paleo, AIP)
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 10 oz chicken livers
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 carrots, shredded
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup cassava flour
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp ketchup see recipe below
Ketchup (sugar-free)
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder omit for AIP
- 1/2 tsp paprika omit for AIP
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 4 pitted dates
- 3 tbsp water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prepare ketchup first
- In a high speed blender or food processor add all of the ingredients. Blend until smooth.
Meatloaf
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- In a medium skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté the livers, add ½ tsp salt. Cook for about 8 minutes. Once cool, blend in a food processor or high speed blender, set aside.
- In the same skillet sauté the onions in 2 Tbsp ghee. Once the onions are soft add carrots, spinach, garlic, and salt. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, 1/3 cup of the ketchup, eggs, cassava flour, dried oregano, mustard powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
- Add liver and cooked onions, carrots, and spinach. Mix well with your hands.
- Transfer the mixture into a loaf pan and bake for 25 minutes.
- Take out and spread remaining ketchup on top. If it starts to brown too soon cover with aluminum foil. Bake for another 40 minutes until center reaches 160F.
- Allow the meatloaf to rest 10 minutes before slicing. This will help it stay together.
