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Low Carb Keto Veggie-Packed Meatloaf

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This homestyle, classic, REAL FOOD, Low Carb Keto Veggie-Packed Meatloaf is absolutely delicious, succulent and total comfort food. It’s jam-packed with vegetables, healthy fats and absolutely no flour.

Meatloaf with 3 slices cut.

Meatloaf is total comfort food.

It’s a family favorite in my home. My husband LOVES meatloaf and my Tiny Love devours it. It’s one of those meals that is super comforting at the end of a long day.

It’s a humble meal, certainly not elegant, but still delicious and gives you that cozy feeling.

Meatloaf with 3 slices.

Meatloaf makes me think of my childhood and my mom.

It was a staple in our home and my mom made it at least once a month. Her meatloaf wasn’t anything fancy, just a classic, basic meatloaf with lots of ketchup on top. Always LOTS of ketchup.

Meatloaf with 3 slices.

My mom loved ketchup on many foods because it was something that got her by as a child. She had told me that her mother wasn’t the best cook (even though she adored her mom), so ketchup helped make the food more palatable.

When it came to my mom’s meatloaf, there was always that beautiful layer of ketchup on the top. That was my favorite part and still is!

We almost always had mashed potatoes and buttered peas to go with our meatloaf. AND … more ketchup on the side to dip it in of course.

Meatloaf with 3 slices.

Homestyle Real Food Meatloaf with Quality Whole Food Ingredients

Now don’t get me wrong, I loved my mom’s meatloaf as a young girl, but my palate has expanded since then. I make my version similar to my mom’s good ole recipe, but I’ve real foodified it a bit.

I love to pack some nourishing, good stuff into the meatloaf. For me this always means adding in some vegetables and herbs. I love to pack it full with carrots, onion, garlic, thyme and zucchini {or sometimes spinach or kale}. Don’t worry, the flavor of the carrots and zucchini does not stand out.

Meatloaf with 3 slices.

Keep it simple with healthy fats and no grains!

To help keep the meatloaf super soft and succulent, I add cultured sour cream. And last, but not least, I always top the meatloaf with ketchup … because it’s nostalgic and fun, and my family loves it that way.

Meatloaf with 3 slices.

The great thing about this low carb keto veggie-packed meatloaf is that it’s nourishing, full of protein, veggies and healthy fats, plus it doesn’t have any grains! 

Meatloaf with 3 slices.

Low Carb Keto Veggie-Packed Meatloaf

Meatloaf with 3 slices.

21 votes

Print

Low Carb Keto Veggie-Packed Meatloaf

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 8-10 slices

This homestyle, classic, REAL FOOD, Low Carb Keto Veggie-Packed Meatloaf is absolutely delicious, succulent and total comfort food. It's jam-packed with vegetables, healthy fats and absolutely no flour.

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp healthy fat of choice like grass-fed butter, ghee, avocado oil
  • 1/2 yellow onion, diced
  • 5-6 fresh garlic cloves, roughly chopped or minced
  • 3 medium organic carrots, finely grated
  • 1 zucchini, finely grated 
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt
  • 1 pound grass-fed ground beef
  • 1 pastured or organic egg
  • 3/4 cup sour cream {I use Nancy's brand}
  • 1/2 cup shredded organic or grass-fed cheese 
  • 1/2 cup homemade ketchup or organic sugar-free ketchup {check ingredients!}

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Heat fat of choice in medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add onions stirring occasionally until translucent, but not brown, about 7-8 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and allow to cook for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
  4. Add grated carrots, zucchini, thyme, and sea salt. Stir occasionally just until vegetables are soft, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. In a large mixing bowl, add ground beef, egg, sour cream, cheese and slightly cooled vegetables. Use a fork or clean hands to mix well.
  6. Place meat mixture into a loaf pan, a shallow 7x11 pan or shape into a rectangle loaf on a parchment paper lined sheet pan.
  7. Spread ketchup over the top of the meatloaf mixture.
  8. Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meat is cooked through. [Note: A 7x11 shallow pan will cook in about 1 hour, a loaf pan will take closer to 1 1/2 hours.]
  9. Let the meatloaf rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

YOU WILL NEED: Cutting Board, Grater, Large Mixing Bowl, Sauté Pan, Loaf Pan or Shallow 7x11 Pan 

  • Spinach or Dino kale can be substituted for the zucchini. If using kale, use about 5 large Dino kale leaves, stems removed and chiffonade cut. If using spinach, use about 2 cups fresh spinach as spinach really shrinks when cooked. Add spinach or kale to the cooking process during Step #4.
  • If you need to omit the egg, use a total of 1 cup/8 ounces sour cream instead of 3/4 cup sour cream.
  • For Keto and Low Carb - make sure to use a cheese that is appropriate like aged cheddar, mozzarella, Colby or Monterey jack. 
  • For Strict Keto Low Carb - Carrots and onions should only be enjoyed in moderation, since they are higher in carbs. If you need stricter Keto Low Carb, you can omit the carrots and onion and replace the carrots with finely chopped white mushrooms and either omit the onion completely or replace with chopped green onions.    

Serving Suggestions: Serve as is or with mashed potatoes, potato salad, celery root mash, green peas or green beans, roasted broccoli, sautéed greens or a simple salad (note - some of these side dish suggestions are not Low Carb or Keto).

Cuisine American

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  6. You had me at cultured sour cream! No, but really, meatloaf is the bomb dot com. Always ugly, but always amazingly delicious! Thanks for sharing 🙂

    Reply

  11. This is a very healthy meatloaf. I’ve been wanting to make meatloaf, so now I have a recipe that has one of my favorite greens, Kale and I know I will like this. Looks so yummy and beautiful!

    Reply

  14. You said it right, “Meatloaf is total comfort food.” It was a staple when I was growing up too, with ketchup on top of course!! I can no longer tolerate tomatoes 🙁 so these days I top it with homemade dark cherry or black currant BBQ sauce, and all is well again!

    Reply

  20. Now your meatloaf is really making me hungry! I love the extra vegetables in there. I find a piece of solid meat too heavy for me these days and I so appreciate your meatloaf recipe packed with zucchini and carrots 🙂

    Reply

  21. I’m so ready for meatloaf season Emily! This is such a great recipe that I can feel good about feeding my family – great addition to my meal plan – thank you!

    Reply

  22. This meatloaf looks so good! Such an interesting method to add sour cream. I bet that makes an awesome texture and I can’t wait to try it!

    Reply

  29. I admit I’m not a meatloaf fan, but I LOVE recipes with lots of hidden veggies! I’m always open to trying again, so I’ll give your recipe a shot! Love that bright red sauce on top, too!

    Reply

  34. The sour cream in this seems like a delicious addition! I’m printing this recipe out for JAck and Justin to make while I’m out of town next week. I’m such a bummer for the boys with my nightshade and dairy intolerances lol But these flavors… I can tell its delicious!

    Reply

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