Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf {with Whole30 Ketchup!}

This Whole30 and Paleo meatloaf is packed with classic flavors and topped with Whole30 ketchup sweetened with dates!  It’s the ultimate cozy comfort food that everyone will love.  Gluten free grain free, dairy free, no added sugar.  

I’ve been holding onto this recipe entirely too long!  I was waiting for the stars to align, and then force me to make dinner at 9am, you know, to take the pictures for the recipe.   There is just something about making a meatloaf at 9am that, most days, just doesn’t seem as appealing as making cookies, muffins, or lemon curd tartlets.

Anyway, along came a day when I found my motivation (AKA had zero time to make dinner in the evening), and so, here we are, talking Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf!  I hope you’re excited, because despite my procrastination, this is a DANG good recipe.  Not that I’m partial, it just happens to be a fact.

I discovered my own version of Whole30 friendly ketchup during the January Whole30 that Adam and i completed.  He actually isn’t much of a ketchup fan, but, I have to admit, I like to dip almost anything in it.  Not ashamed at all, it’s delicious!

Way way back, I made a low FODMAP chipotle ketchup with maple syrup, and, to not make myself think TOO hard, I simply tweaked that recipe to include dates as the sweetener instead of maple, added a bit of onion and garlic powder and omitted the chipotle pepper to get an authentic tasting ketchup that you wouldn’t guess contains no added sugar!  By the way, if you like spice in your life, by all means add that chipotle – I’ve done it, it’s good.  Just not so kid friendly 🙂

The meatloaf itself is very straightforward, and, what I would consider to be a “classic” style meatloaf.  I know from reading the internet that there are about 10,000 versions of “classic” anything, so all I can say is this is my personal classic.

The recipe is in our weekly rotation (okay fine, bi-weekly, only because it takes an hour to bake!) and my kids somehow, by some miracle of meal creation, do not complain about the onions or garlic “pieces.”  All I can make of it is that the meatloaf is good enough for them to overlook the serious matter of the invasion of chopped onions.  How many recipes can we really say that for, mommas?!

Don’t worry though, I picked the parsley off before serving it to them, heaven forbid we have onions plus green leaves hanging around for no good reason…

One more highly desirable quality of this paleo meatloaf?  It’s perfect for leftovers!  Heck, you can even make & bake the entire thing the day before (or at 9am if you’re like me) and it reheats just fine.  No dryness, possibly thanks to those yummy onions and garlic which you’ll sauté in ghee to get them extra flavorful.  The 85% lean ground beef definitely doesn’t hurt either!  I get mine from U.S. Wellness Meats, but you can typically find 80-85% lean grass fed ground beef now at most grocery stores.

It’s time to make this meatloaf – are you with me?  I hope you and your family love this one as much as we do!  Let’s cook!

Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf {With Whole30 Ketchup!}

Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf {with Whole30 Ketchup!}

This Whole30 and Paleo meatloaf is packed with classic flavors and topped with Whole30 ketchup sweetened with dates! It's the ultimate cozy comfort food that everyone will love. Grain free, dairy free, no added sugar.

Author: Michele

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Course: Dinner/Lunch

Cuisine: Paleo &amp, Whole30

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Print this Recipe

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a review

4.61 from 333 votes

Ingredients

For the Ketchup:

• 1/3 cup medjool dates pitted, soaked in hot water to soften, and drained (use 1/4 cup if you want it less sweet)
• 6 oz tomato paste
• 3 tbsp water in addition to soaking the dates
• 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Optional 1/4 tsp chipotle pepper for spice

For the Meatloaf:

• 2 lbs 85% lean grass fed ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup almond flour
• 3 Tbsp Whole30 ketchup see recipe above
• 1 small onion or half medium one minced
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• 2 Tbsp ghee for cooking onion and garlic
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp mustard check label for Whole30 compliance
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/4-1/3 cups Whole30 ketchup for top of the loaf
• Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the Ketchup First {this can be done ahead of time}

1. In a food processor or high speed blender, process/blend all ingredients on high speed until pureed, scraping the sides to incorporate all ingredients evenly. Store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until ready to use, leftovers can be refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.

Prepare the Meatloaf:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
2. In a medium skillet, sauté the onions in the 2 Tbsp ghee (or other cooking fat) until soft, add the garlic, sprinkle with a tiny bit of sea salt and continue to cook, stirring, for about one minute, then remove from heat.
3. In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, almond flour, 3 Tbsp ketchup, cooked onion and garlic with ghee, salt, mustard, Italian seasoning and black pepper. Mix with your hands until well incorporated but try not to over-mix, since this will toughen the meat.
4. Transfer the meat mixture to a 9 x 5 loaf pan (or 8.5 x 4.5) and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove and spread 1/4-1/3 cup of the ketchup over the top of the loaf, return to oven and continue to bake for 40-45 more minutes until center is cooked (an internal temp of 160 degrees F)
5. Allow the loaf to rest for 10 minutes or so, then slice and serve, garnished with chopped parsley if desired. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Enjoy!

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @PaleoRunningMomma on Instagram and hashtag it #PaleoRunningMomma

Products I Recommend to Make My Whole30 Paleo Meatloaf (and ketchup!)

Want more Whole30 & Paleo dinner ideas?  Try one of these!

Slow Cooker Meatballs in Marinara Sauce

Bacon Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

Salisbury Steak Meatballs

Bacon Wrapped Buffalo Ranch Chicken Meatloaf

Tell Me!

What’s your favorite Paleo friendly comfort food/meal?

Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Paleo Running Momma!