Welcome to 30 Days Gluten Free Quick & Easy Meals!Today's post is written by Shirley Braden, author of the blog, gfe--gluten free easily.
Day 23 - Shirley's Tasty Meatloaf in Mere Minutes.
Meat loaf is a somewhat old-fashioned, comfort food that may not get made often because it’s traditionally baked in the oven for an hour or more. However, if you use a microwave oven, meat loaf can be ready in a fraction of the time. My meat loaf is usually ready in about 12 to 14 minutes.
This method is a timesaver any time of the year, but it’s also a “heat saver” during the summer months. Many comfort food dishes require operating the oven, but I’m not particularly keen on making them when the air conditioner is running and the electric meter is doing its whirling dervish imitation. This meat loaf is quick and tasty and pleases even non-meat loaf lovers.
Shirley's Tasty Meat Loaf (Microwave Version)
1 lb. ground venison, lean ground beef, or ground turkey
1 egg, slightly beaten
¾ cup gluten-free bread crumbs, almond flour, etc. (see notes below)
1/3 cup milk (dairy or non-dairy; may be optional--see notes below)
1/3 cup gluten-free ketchup
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp salt (optional, I’d add if using ground turkey)
Topping:
1/3 cup gluten-free ketchup
1 ½ tsp dry mustard
¼ cup brown sugar (or Demerara or coconut sugar)
Directions:
- Lightly grease pan.
- Mix ground meat, egg, bread crumbs, milk, ketchup, and onion. Press into microwave-safe loaf pan, making an indentation in the center.
- Mix topping ingredients and pour over loaf.
- Microwave on HIGH setting for 12 minutes.
- Check doneness at center of loaf at 12-minute point. If not done, continue cooking at 1-minute intervals, checking each time. There should be no pink remaining in the middle, but it may look slightly soft. The middle will continue cooking/setting up for a few minutes after removing from the microwave. Therefore, I like to serve slices from the end first.
- Serve with equally quick sides like salad and/or steamed veggies.
Shirley’s Notes:
- Please do not omit the topping; it comes from a Southern Living recipe and really makes this meat loaf special.
- If you don’t use a lean meat, there may be too much fat, some of which you can drain off. (Be careful not to drain off too much because the meat loaf will need some for moisture, plus it’s not all fat, it’s also liquid from other ingredients.)
- Bread crumbs (or another “filler” ingredient) definitely make for a tastier meat loaf, but they are not really necessary. The egg, ground meat, fat content, and milk (if used) all allow binding and add enough flavor.
- Truthfully, I make this meat loaf slightly different each time. For example, when I use almond flour, I add no milk at all, as the liquid is not really needed. However, I do use milk when I include bread crumbs; the liquid is needed in that case.
- Leftovers make terrific sandwiches; you can even fill corn tortillas with slices or chunks of leftover meat loaf, adding cheese, and more.
Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!
About Shirley:Shirley is the author/owner of the blog, gfe–gluten free easily. She was diagnosed as gluten intolerant in June 2003 after a lifetime of health issues caused by gluten. She’s been gluten free ever since and is now happy and healthy. She leads the King George Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Group, which she formed in 2004. She also serves on the council of a local GIG group and edits its newsletter, and is a founding member of a local health initiative. She’s a relentless advocate for celiac and gluten intolerance education, always speaking at health fairs and other public forums.
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Stay tuned tomorrow for Day 24 of 30 Days Quick & Easy Meals! Dianne from The WHOLE Gang will be sharing one of her newest favorite quick & easy recipes!
