Name: Nutrient Dense Meatloaf
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 2 TB butter or other friendly fat to cook in; 1/2 onion (finely diced); 1 medium carrot (finely diced); 1 stalk celery (finely diced); 1 tsp sea salt; 1/4 tsp pepper; 3/4 tsp thyme; 1/2 tsp oregano; 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (this leaves the heat very mild for kids - if you like a lot of heat double!); 5 cloves of garlic (minced); 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 pastured egg; 1/2 cup finely chopped bread or bread crumbs (See Notes); 1/4 cup whole milk, coconut milk, whole sour cream, or coconut yogurt; 1 tbsp coconut aminos (Optional if you don't have it. It gives a lovely depth of flavor); 1 lb grassfed ground beef; About 1/8 - 1/4 lb grassfed beef liver (grated - See Notes); Optional ketchup for the top and/or for dipping

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Cool weather comfort food at it’s finest, packed with nutrient dense grassfed beef & liver and the most amazing flavor!

January snow storms, and my household favorite Sunday dinner!

An entire WEEK! Well, it felt that way at least! The girls had FOUR full snow days last week! Wild! Well over a foot of snow, and lots of super fun snow play led us to crave one of our favorite winter Sunday comfort dinners. Meatloaf!

Meatloaf?! The most popular dinner?!

Yep. It never fails about 30 minutes into that meatloaf into the oven, and I’ve got a hungry pack of drooling kids surrounding my kitchen! I feel like meatloaf gets a bad rap, but if you know how to amp up the flavor, it will become one of your favorite Sunday dinners too.

Not just any meatloaf!

Grassfed beef on it’s own is absolutely a powerhouse superfood. Packed with vitamins, minerals, CLA, healthy fat, and other compounds that you just can’t get in any other food, beef is a great idea to have as a weekly staple on your menu plan somehow every week. In addition to the beef, I like to get nutrient dense liver or other organ meat into the beef. If your crew isn’t used to eating organ meat, it blends into the ground beef so well. I like to get organ meat into the girls once a week. So whether I’m mixing it into tacos, spaghetti, meatballs, or something like this meatloaf, getting “nature’s multi-vitamin (organ meat!), into my growing kids is a must!

The Method :: The Meatloaf Mixture

The key to the burst of savory, comforting flavor all lies in the veggie saute. Seasoned with herbs, sweetened caramelized veggies, garlic, and tomato paste, this mixture is what takes the meatloaf to the next level. Simply saute the veggies and add it to the meat mixture, along with the binders/moisture (egg, bread, milk). You’ll gently mix the meat and then shape it into a loaf on the sheet pan.

The Method :: Baking the Meatloaf and Slicing

Once the meatloaf mixture is shaped, all that is left is to brush it with ketchup or BBQ sauce if you wish, and bake it. When the meatloaf is done baking, let it rest for 5-10 minutes so it will stay together while slicing. Slice nice thick slices – we slice this recipe into 5 slices for our family of 5. It can easily be doubled for leftovers.

The Method :: Serving the Meatloaf

While the meatloaf bakes, I typically get potatoes going for mashed potatoes. I keep it simple and serve buttered green beans on the side, but any side salad or other veggie works too. Meatloaf makes a great, easy to chew toddler dinner, and when you add the grassfed beef liver in addition to the beef, it really packs a nutrient dense punch for those growing kiddos. Using a side of mashed potatoes and easy to manage pan cooked veggies with lots of butter, and even the little ones can sit right at the table with the rest of the family and eat the same dinner!