Here's a new twist on meatloaf. I'm not sure I really liked meatloaf as a kid. It was kind of like mystery meat, a mound of meat and who knows what else. Well, now that I like to cook, meatloaf is so easy and so good! I took a bit of a different approach than the traditional ketchup topped loaf.
I love Mexican spices and flavors and wanted to try them in meatloaf. I also love anything and everything that has to do with avocados! If you slap guacamole on something, I'll eat it. Typically meatloaf has a layer of cooked ketchup on top and then is served with more ketchup on top. I thought avocado or guacamole served on top sounded awesome!
Not to mention how good avocados are for you. Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit.
For those of you that love avocados as much as I do, I am going to experiment with using it as the base for some creamy desserts soon!
Recipe: Mexican Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 lbs grass-fed ground buffalo or ground beef
- 3/4-1 cup diced onions
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup 505 Flame Roasted Chilis
- 2 tbsp refined coconut oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 - 2 cups cilantro, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp Penzey's Adobo Spice Blend*
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- Saute onions, garlic and spices in a pan with coconut oil
- Once onions are translucent, remove from heat and add the chilis and cilantro
- In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the meat and onion mixture, mix with hands
- Form into a loaf in a cake pan or casserole dish with sides. There will be a lot of moisture that comes out of the meat.
- Bake at 325 for an hour
- Remove meat from the pan or pour excess liquid out
- Slice it and top with guacamole, slices of avocado or salsa
VariationsYou don't have to use the 505 brand, but they have a better and different flavor than regular canned chilis.
The Adobo Spice is one of my favorites and worth purchasing. You can spice it yourself using garlic powder, onion powder, Tellicherry black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne red pepper.
This recipe could also be done with ground chicken or turkey. I love ground turkey, but it can be a bit dry. I think there is enough moisture in this that it might turn out great. Let us know if you try it!
