Name: Paleo Meatloaf With Bacon & Balsamic Onions
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Ingredients: Coconut oil or olive oil for greasing; 1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee; 1 large white onion, peeled and finely diced; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar; 6-8 bacon streaks/rashers, rind removed (I only had 5 pieces but please use more to line up the whole pan); 1 medium carrot, grated; 700 g / 1.5 lb grass fed beef mince; 150-200 g / about 5 oz chicken livers (optional, you can instead use 850-900 g / 1.8 lb of beef mince alone); 3 tablespoons almond meal or almond flour (omit for a nut-free version); 2 heaped tablespoons of mayonnaise (alternatively, 2 eggs + 2 tablespoons olive oil); 3 cloves of garlic, grated or minced; 1 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1 teaspoon paprika; 1 teaspoon cumin powder; 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried or semi-dried tomatoes

Ingredients

Scale

Coconut oil or olive oil for greasing

For the onions

1 tablespoon olive oil or ghee
1 large white onion, peeled and finely diced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

For the rest of the meatloaf

6–8 bacon streaks/rashers, rind removed (I only had 5 pieces but please use more to line up the whole pan)
1 medium carrot, grated
700 g / 1.5 lb grass fed beef mince
150–200 g / about 5 oz chicken livers (optional, you can instead use 850–900 g / 1.8 lb of beef mince alone)
3 tablespoons almond meal or almond flour (omit for a nut-free version)
2 heaped tablespoons of mayonnaise (alternatively, 2 eggs + 2 tablespoons olive oil)
3 cloves of garlic, grated or minced
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1/3 cup chopped sun-dried or semi-dried tomatoes

To serve: paleo friendly ketchup, see notes for recommendations, or other condiments and a side of veggies or a salad.

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180 C / 355°F. Grease a medium loaf tin (about 9 x 5” or 8.5 x 4.5”) with a little coconut oil and set aside.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil or ghee in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onions and salt and sauté for 7-8 minutes, until softened and translucent. Add the balsamic vinegar and stir for a minute, until slightly caramelised.
Line the loaf tin with bacon rashers overlapping them over the edges in an alternate way as you go (see photo). You can reserve a couple of rashers to fill in the gaps at the top once the meat is in. I only had 5 streaks when I made the loaf in the picture, so I have a few gaps in my finished bacon top but you get the idea.
Squeeze the grated carrots over a sink to remove some of the excess juices.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the carrots, beef, chicken livers (if using), the cooked onions and the rest of the ingredients. Use clean hands to mix the filling really well, making sure the ingredients are well incorporated and spread through.
Pack the mixture into the loaf tin and wrap the overlapping bacon pieces over the top of the loaf, pressing them down with your fingers.
Place the meatloaf in the oven, middle shelf, and bake for 45-50 minutes. I suggest to rotate the tin half way through. Turn the oven off, leave the door open and allow the loaf to rest for 10 minutes inside.
When you remove the tin, you might have some cooking juices inside. Simply pour the liquid out into a bowl and reserve to drizzle over the loaf when serving. Carefully remove the loaf onto a plate (I like to top the tin upside down while holding a plate over the top) and slice when serving.
While the loaf is cooking, prepare a side of vegetables or a salad.