Ever since having meatloaf at my friend Katie’s house this summer, I have a new love and appreciation for meatloaf.  Despite my Mom’s amazing abilities in the kitchen, I was never a fan of her meatloaf growing up.  Maybe this change of meatloaf perspective can be attributed to the Hawaiian air – Katie is lucky enough to be stationed there with her husband right now – but most likely, it was the Paleo spin from Sarah Fragoso’s cookbook Everyday Paleo.  I put my own spin on that recipe in my Not So Everyday Paleo Meatloaf, but I have been anxious to try a different style in the meatloaf form.

I love the delicious versatility of ground meats.  Myriad flavor and meat combinations, meatballs, burgers, meatloaf, soups, stews, casseroles… the sky is the limit.  In this recipe, I wanted to put a Mexican spin on the traditional meatloaf.  The inspiration?  I have been dying to try a Paleo version of a mole sauce.  I have seen countless versions on the Food Network as well as in several magazines and cookbooks.  They always have so many ingredients!  I wanted to simplify the process, cut out the bread and complicated chiles, and slather it on a meat dish.  I decided that a mixture of pork and ground beef for the loaf would complement the slightly sweet and chocolatey sauce – and it would mimic the ketchup that is traditionally put on meatloaf.

The verdict?  Delicioso!  I loaded up the meatloaf with chopped veggies that paired well with the play on Mexican cuisine.  I also chose to do a ratio of 2/3 pork sausage and 1/3 ground beef.  Pork sausage is fatty, but I drained the fat from the silicone baking pans before serving and used a tablespoon of the drippings to create more depth in the mole sauce.  You can also use 2/3 ground beef to 1/3 pork sausage, or ground turkey!  I just loved that the meatloaf tasted like a large, juicy sausage patty that just happened to be loaded with bell peppers, onion, and celery.  The cooking process allows the veggies to soften and provides extra moisture in the meatloaf.

I actually ended up making two different sauces for the top of my meatloaf: a Paleo Sweet Potato Ketchup, and a Paleo Sweet Potato Mole.  The  base of the mole is the same as the ketchup.  Both are delicious accompaniments for this meatloaf dish!  I made them for the express purpose of topping this meatloaf, but I plan on using similar recipes in the future to top other proteins.  Whichever sauce you choose to make, this dinner should be a winner.

Ingredients

• 2 lb sausage (I used Odom’s Tennessee Pride Hot and Original)
• 1 lb grass fed ground beef (90-10)
• 1-2 tbs coconut oil
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1/2 carrot, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup almond meal/flour
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 tbs paprika
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp dried cilantro
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• 2. Heat coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet on medium/med-high heat
• 3. Add onion, celery, carrots, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, and cook for 10 minutes, or until slightly softened
• 4. Remove veggie mixture from heat and let cool
• 5. In a large bowl add sausage, ground beef, and mix thoroughly with hands
• 6. To meat mixture, add remaining ingredients, including the veggie mixture
• 7. Mix all ingredients together so they are evenly incorporated, then let rest for 5-10 minutes
• 8. Divide meat mixture in half, and press evenly into two silicone loaf pans
• 9. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until meat is no longer pink
• 10. Top with sweet potato ketchup or sweet potato mole sauce
• 11. Enjoy!