This was an experiment I just tried – usually we make a plain and simple meatloaf, but figured it would be fun to try something new! The basic concept came from this recipe.
Apple Meatloaf
- 6 lb ground beef
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 eggs
- 3 c. applesauce (I used homemade chunky applesauce from apples we harvested:))
- 1 15 oz can tomato puree
- 2 T. prepared mustard
- 1 T. dried parsley
- 1 t. pepper
Saute the onions and garlic in oil of your choice until translucent (I used rendered chicken fat). Mix the sauteed vegetables into the ground beef. In a separate bowl, mix the applesauce, tomato puree, mustard, and spices – this is done now so that all the ingredients are evenly mixed in and will combine well with the meat mixture. Mix applesauce mixture with ground beef mixture, and mix well.
Place mixture into two deep 9 x 13 pans (it can fill up to four pans, depending how full you want them to be), and smooth the top with a spoon. You can also use loaf pans, if you prefer. (I like 9 x 13 pans since that’s the only size I have that is stainless steel, so I try to use them for everything! 
) Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.
The meatloaf has an interesting (and tasty!) flavor, and a texture that is firm enough to slice but slightly looser than your typical meatloaf. It’s grain-free, gluten-free, and sugar-free. It’s also suitable for the GAPS diet; I made it now to feed my freezer so I’ll have it on hand when I hopefully introduce GAPS to my family next week.
(This recipe is part of Slightly Indulgent Tuesday.)
Avivah
Mmm…this sounds lovely to me! I love homemade applesauce and was so happy to have some after just getting home for the summer! What exactly is the GAPS diet? And why would you go on it exactly? I tried looking at the site but couldn’t figure it out..:/
By: Ari-The Frugally Rich Life on April 14, 2010
at 7:16 am
Hi, Ari! GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology Syndrome, it’s a book written by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, and the details of how and why it works are in the book. The website just adds some additional info but you can’t really understand it from just looking at the site. The purpose of the diet is to restore your gut flora (almost everyone is in a state of imbalance which affects their health in a myriad of ways) so that your body can function as it’s meant to. My dh has been doing it for about two months, and I’ll write more about it once the rest of us get started.
By: Avivah on April 14, 2010
at 11:20 am
[...] Lilla (Coconut Cream – Awesome Dessert Ingredient!)12. Avivah @ Oceans of Joy (apple meatloaf – sugar free, gluten free)13. Finding Joy in My Kitchen (Grapefruit Cake)14. Hallie @ Daily Bites (GF Energy Bars)15. Cheryl [...]
By: Recipe for Gluten Free, Sugar Free Slightly Indulgent Tuesday - 4/13/10 on March 5, 2011
at 5:25 pm