Apple BBQ Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Meal prep is not your grandma's meatloaf! Grain free, with apples added for a little sweetness and moisture!
Admittedly, it's not every day you come across a recipe for meatloaf with apples and barbecue sauce, right? This one is grain free, and the apples add a lot of moisture and a little bit of sweetness. But don't worry. We haven't gone so far off the beaten path here. We want you to eat this with mashed potatoes and green beans. Honestly. (But don't worry. We also have a more straightforward Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Meal Prep.)
Oh, and this meal prep recipe is gluten-free, as almond flour takes the place of breadcrumbs. And if you use a barbecue sauce low in sugar like this one we like from Primal Kitchen, it's Whole30/paleo friendly, too.
Apple BBQ Meatloaf & Mashed Potato Meal Prep Ingredients:
For the Meatloaf:
- 1 ¼ pounds grass-fed beef
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tbsp. red onion, chopped
- 1 small apple, peeled and grated
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. paprika
- ½ cup BBQ sauce + more for serving
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Potatoes:
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 cup unsweetened dairy-free milk
- 1 tbsp. parsley
- Salt and pepper, to taste
How to Make Apple BBQ Meatloaf Meal Prep
This dish, we're not going to like, takes a bit of time. But we can't always have dinner ready in 20 minutes, right? You start off by getting the potatoes going; boil them up before you can mash them. While that's simmering, grate the apples and assemble the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl. Then, transfer the mixture (which you can mix with your hands, as it makes it more tender) to a loaf pan. That will bake while you deal with the potatoes. And just before everything is ready, assuming you've mashed them and also added some barbecue sauce to the meatloaf, steam some green beans or another green veggie to serve with it.
How to Serve and Store Apple BBQ Meatloaf
Once the meatloaf has cooled, you can go ahead and slice it and transfer it to the waiting meal prep containers. Do the same for the mashed potatoes and green beans, assuming you've made them, too.
You can also freeze this entire meal prep, which is pretty awesome. We're a fan of things that freeze well and reheat well. Eat half and freeze half—that's one way of working with meal preps! You can defrost it right in the microwave if you like. Or you can leave it in the fridge overnight so that it defrosts just enough so that you can remove it with ease. Then, reheat it in the oven in a casserole dish or other oven-safe vessel.
Substitutions or Alterations
You can use turkey, veal, pork, or chicken, or some combination of all of those for this meatloaf dish. The texture and taste will be a little different, but it will still be delicious.
Make this with roasted red potatoes instead of mashed Russets if you like. Or serve with rice. But meatloaf really likes mashed potatoes, right?
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1.25 pounds grass fed beef
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon red onion chopped
- 1 small apple peeled and grated
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ cup Whole30 approved BBQ sauce plus more for serving, optional
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed Potatoes
- 2 large russet potatoes
- 1 cup almond milk or milk of choice
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease the inside of a 9”x5” baking pan and set aside.
- Place the potatoes with the skin on in a pot of boiling water and boil for 30 to 40 minutes or until they can be easily pierced through with a fork.
- While the potatoes are cooking, whisk together the eggs with the red onion, grated apple, onion powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and almond flour in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the meat to the bowl and gently incorporate it with your hands. Transfer mixture to the greased pan.
- Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes. Remove it from the oven and spoon or brush the BBQ sauce over the top.
- Return the meatloaf to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes or until it has set. Remove it from the oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes before removing and slicing.
- While the meatloaf sets, remove the potatoes from the pot of water if you haven't done so already, and mash them with the almond milk, salt, pepper, and parsley. Transfer the potatoes to waiting meal prep containers
- Remove the meatloaf from the pan carefully and transfer to a cutting board. Slice it and transfer the slices to meal prep containers, along with the mashed potatoes. Serve also with steamed green beans or broccoli, if desired.
Notes
- you can lower the fat count in this recipe by using a 96% lean ground beef or ground turkey/turkey breast
CARMEN says
CAN'T WAIT TO TRY THIS... SOUNDS YUMMM...
Dragan Bogoevski says
The instructions seem all over the place on this one...
Sarah Kesseli says
Thank you for bringing this to our attention! We have updated the instructions.