Crockpot Paleo Meatloaf

I have been spending too much time not meal prepping that I end up cooking too late at night and not getting enough rest. My days usually consist of waking up at 6 am, cooking, getting ready for work, work from 7:30 am - 4:00 pm, quick power nap, WOD at 6 pm (I leave at 5:15 because of traffic), usually socialize and run errands after... so, I usually don't get home until 9:00 - 10:00 pm and by that time, I'm already beat.

 

So, I put my foot down, lol, and told myself, "I WANT TO SET IT AND FORGET IT!"

 

Thus, finding this Crockpot Meatloaf recipe from PaleoPot.com

 

This is taken directly off that website:

What you need:

• 2 pounds of lean ground meat (ground chicken works really well for this, as would lean turkey).
• 2 eggs, beaten.
• 4 ounces of bacon, crisped and chopped.
• 1/2 of a small white onion, small dice.
• 4 green onions, chopped.
• 2 stacks of celery, sliced thinly or chopped.
• 2 tsp of dried oregano
• 1 tsp of black pepper
• 1 tsp of thyme
• 2 tsp of smoked paprika
• 2 tsp of garlic powder

For the Tomato Sauce:

• 1 small can of tomato paste (can also use 1/4 cup of tomato sauce).
• 2 to 3 tbsp of dijon mustard.
• 2 tsp of smoked paprika.
• 2 tsp of garlic powder.
• 1 tsp of apple cider vinegar.

How you assemble your loaf of meat:

1. Cook your bacon until brown and crispy, then chop it up good.
2. In a large bowl combine your ground meat, beaten eggs, bacon, veggies and seasonings.
3. Mix everything together by hand, forming a loaf.
4. Place your loaf in your slow cooker and press it down so that the top is flat and you have about of inch of space between the loaf and the sides of the slow cooker.
5. Mix your tomato sauce ingredients together and spoon them over the loaf. Use a spoon or a knife to frost the loaf’s top as evenly as possible.
6. Cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

 

 

Now, let me tell you... I was rushing to get this done because 1. It was 4:12 when I started prepping. I had to leave and get ready for WOD at 5:15 pm. I had to wash all the dishes. With that being said, after I happily placed my mix in the crockpot and topped it with the sauce... I realized that... I forgot to add the eggs... and the apple cider vinegar...

 

So, Nancy asked me to go run errand with her before WOD, so I scooped out as much sauce as possible, and mixed in the egg, and took the opportunity to add the apple cider vinegar and finally reset it.

 

HOW DO YOU FORGET THESE?! I DON'T KNOW.

 

I got home around 9:30 pm last night, and around 10:00 pm it was ready. So I managed to get showered and ready for bed. I used ground dark turkey meat (I understand the lack of appeal when the fat is at the bottom making it look ugly), so next time, I'll use lean ground beef. Here's the final product...

 

I wish I had a better camera... It looks better than in the picture. See that gunk on top? That's some of the fat that seeped through the top... gross. But still good. LOL.

 

I'm not a paprika or mustard enthusiast, so I added an over easy egg on top of a slice seasoned with salt and it mixed very well.

 

Next time, I will use lean meat for sure, more bacon, add salt, less paprika, and maybe 1/2 of the suggested amount of dijon mustard... and maybe some salt mixed in the loaf. Other than that, it was a hit between my dad and my brother. I'll have Dan taste test it later when he comes over...

 

Enjoy! Trial and Error!