The G-Free Chef's Rainy Day Meatloaf

The G-Free Chef's Rainy Day Meatloaf
(served with sauteed squash and long-grain rice cooked in chicken broth)

I like to make meatloaf when it's rainy or cold and I want to feel nice and cozy. It reminds me of meals my mom used to make when I was a child. Making a meatloaf is fun in that each one is a bit unique, so I encourage you to play with the ingredients.

This recipe is pretty classic, except for the pine nuts or "pignoli seeds," which are an ingredient I love for the texture they provide. Growing up in a middle eastern family, for years I've enjoyed pine nuts in everything from stuffed grape leaves to desserts and I like what they add to this meatloaf. That said, if pine nuts aren't for you, simply omit them. That's the beauty of meatloaf.

Ingredients

1 lb Ground beef (I like 85% lean; a little bit of fat adds great flavor and moisture to the meatloaf)
1 lb Ground pork
2 Eggs
1/2 cup soy milk or rice milk (original flavor)
1 Cup gluten-free breadcrumbs
3 Handfuls of pine nuts
1/2 Cup ketchup
1/4 cup Stubbs BBQ Sauce (or your preferred gluten-free BBQ sauce)
1/4 Cup Mustard
1 Tablespoon of dried parsley or 2-3 Tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
Salt & pepper

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In one large mixing bowl, add the beef, pork, breadcrumbs, pine nuts, eggs, soy/rice milk, BBQ sauce, parsley, salt, and pepper.
  
• Add 1/4 ketchup (setting the other 1/4 aside for the sauce).
• Mix and shape into a mound with your hands and place in a meat loaf pan.*
• Make topping by mixing mustard and remaining 1/4 ketchup together in a small bowl.
• Spread and bake for at least 1 1/4 hours or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
• Turn the oven off and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
  

*If you don't have a meat loaf pan, shape the mixture with your hands like a loaf of bread and wrap it snugly in aluminum foil.