Ma! The Meatloaf!

Will Ferrell's small but hilarious part in the movie Wedding Crasher's as a one-time lady's man living in his mom's basement made an impression on my fiance.  From time to time, when he's hungry and wondering when dinner will be ready, Max will scream, "Ma! The Meatloaf!".  While sort of obnoxious, I think it's quite funny and I thought it would be even funnier to actually make meatloaf.  This American classic gets a bad rap, but c'mon, it's basically seasoned beef - how bad could it be?  So, I found a recipe on epicurious that I thought sounded good and modified it according to our Gundry rules.

INGREDIENTS
2 strips lean bacon*, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
1 pound very lean ground beef (preferably grass-fed)
1 large egg
1/4 cup unsweetened soy or almond milk
1/2 cup almond flour
2 tablespoons Dijon
2 tablespoons tomato sauce (no sugar added)
1.5 teaspoons bottled horseradish, well drained
1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon sea salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh thyme (or 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme)
5 whole, un-peeled, garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
*Dr. Gundry suggests turkey "bacon"

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Saute bacon over medium-low heat until it begins to crisp and most of the fat has rendered out, approximately 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, onion and zucchini and continue cooking for 4 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and the onions are translucent.  Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl.  Use your hands to work the rest of the ingredients into the beef.  First, add the egg and milk.  Next, add the almond flour.  Last add the cooled vegetables, mustard, tomato sauce, horseradish, Worchestershire sauce, parsley, salt, pepper and thyme.  Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray and dust the bottom with almond flour.  Scoop the beef mixture into the loaf pan and spread evenly.  Gently press the un-peeled garlic cloves and bay leaves into the top of the meatloaf.

Put the loaf pan in the oven until browned and cooked through (internal temperature should be 165 degrees), approximately 40 minutes.  Let rest for approximately 5 minutes and then slice and serve.  This recipe will make approximately four servings in Phase 1 and later eight servings.

I served the meatloaf with mashed cauliflower and sauteed greens.  I found a gorgeous head of golden cauliflower that is responsible for the rich, buttery color you see in the picture at the top.  I must say, it was a tasty, satisfying meal.  The leftovers keep well and can be used the next day in a breakfast scramble, lunch salad or as a topping for a Dr. Gundry "pizza".