Bacon-Ranch Meatloaf

Adapted from: Popular Paleo

Yield – 6 to 8 servings

Preparation Time – 15 minutes

Cooking Time – 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 3/4 to 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (or other Paleo friendly ‘binder’)
• 1 eggs
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 small white onion, peeled and grated
• 2 Tbsp parsley
• 1 tsp dill
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp basil
• Salt and pepper
• Side dish: veggies or fruit

Directions

• Bake the bacon, until dark and crispy. Drain, pat dry and crumble. (You can microwave or cook in a skillet, I just prefer the end result of baked bacon.)
• Preheat oven to 350 F, for the meatloaf (if necessary.)
• While the bacon is cooking, combine the ground beef, coconut flour or other binder, egg, crushed garlic, grated onion, parsley, dill, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Once the bacon is cooked and crumbled, add half to the meat mixture and combine well.
• Add the meatloaf mixture to 9×5-inch baking dish and then add the rest of the bacon on top, pressing lightly. Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until cooked through. Check after 45 minutes and cover loosely with foil if the bacon on top is looking dried out or darkened. (I didn’t cover mine, but you might need to.)
• Prepare veggies or fruit as side dish.
• Serve Bacon-Ranch Meatloaf with side of veggies or fruit.

To Freeze: Prepare the meat mixture as instructed above. Line a 9×5 inch loaf pan with foil and add the raw meat mixture into the pan. Top with remaining cooked bacon. Wrap the foil around the loaf pan and slip into a labeled plastic freezer baggie and freeze up to 6 months in fridge freezer or 12 months in a deep freezer.

Thaw Instructions: Thaw completely in the baggie in the refrigerator overnight. Place the foil packet back into the same loaf pan. You can bake the meatloaf in the foil, but fold the foil back so that it bakes ‘uncovered.’