Super Simple Clean Eating, Slow Carb Meat Loaf

The thing that I've always loved about meatloaf is that I can get credit for feeding my ravenous carnivores "real" meat while at the same time being able to use other cheaper foods to extend the meat without any complaints.  Since meat is expensive, and we're on tight budget, AND I am cutting out grains... I had to get a little creative.

Thankfully, I'm good at creative, so don't worry, I got this.

I've made this three times, upping the amount of lentils each time.  My husband actually requests it with the lentils now, and my uber picky-about-his-meat-dishes son hasn't had one complaint (and what he doesn't know won't hurt him in this case... don't worry, I'll pass the recipe onto his future wife)  .

Ideal Recipe aka What I Intended to Make

Ingredients:
6# of lean ground beef
2-3# of cooked lentils (I cook mine in beef broth and puree before adding to the meat)
1/2 - 1 cup tomato sauce/paste
4 eggs
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning

Directions:

Yummy... pureed lentils.  Don't those look SO appetizing?  No?

• Mix together all ingredients (if you're not avoiding grains, you can add some ground up shredded wheat cereal to extend the meat even further)
• Form into large patties or small loaves and place on broiler pan (so that the fat will drip into the lower pan)
• Bake at 350 for 15-30 minutes (depending on the size of your loaves) until cooked through.

Topping:
Mix together one cup of the tomato paste/sauce and 1/4 cup of brown sugar Xylitol.  When the meat loaf is ALMOST done, put this topping on it and bake for another 10 minutes!

Optional Recipe aka What I Actually Made

*I was going to wait until after tomorrow and go grocery shopping so that I could make a big crapload of these for ease of use during my 90 Day challenge.  However, I got impatient and wanted some meatloaf right freaking NOW, so I used what I had on hand.  Now you have two options.  Wasn't that nice of me?

Yummy... the fun part.  Mixing this up with your hands!!!

Ingredients:
2 lbs of ground beef
1- 1 1/2 cups of pureed lentils (you don't have to puree them, I just found that I didn't care for the beans randomly showing up in my meat:)
2 Tbsp of diced tomatoes (no juice)
3 eggs

Topping:
Ketchup mixed with a packet of Stevia

Bake, same as above and sit your impatient butt down and wait for them to finish.  I am doing this part right NOW.

I've also discovered that I have amazingly weird, random, witty and fun commentary going on in my head when I'm cooking, so I'm definitely going to start making cooking videos at some point.  Especially if this weight loss thing happens and I can stand to look at myself again.

Duh... I even forgot seasoning.  See what hunger does to my brain?  I REALLY need to plan ahead and have quick fix food ready!

The End.