

I was thinking about something meatloafy today when I thought, hey. I don’t LOVE meatloaf, so what would make me love it? Hmmm… Think, think, think. Thinkety think think.



So I put on my thinking cap and I thought about a pizza loaf, buuuuut I do so much with pizzas already. So I decided I really wanted something Mexican instead.

I put together some ingredients I thought sounded really nice while I was in the kitchen (very scientific, no?).

And voila! The Mexican Meatloaf. Ba ba ba baaa! (No it’s not a crazy sheep. That was my bugle.)

This is a deliciously beefy-zippy-fun concoction makes a filling dish that’s still light and fresh enough to serve on hot days.

And what’s more, this meat makes the best leftovers, which makes it perfect to bake at the beginning of the week and enjoy again. A few ideas:

Chopped up in eggs with salsa

Cubed and served with spaghetti squash

Mashed and served with taco salad

Sliced and served on oopsie rolls as sandwiches

Mashed into mashed cauliflower with sour cream and beef gravy

Chopped and served with your own low carb nacho chips

It’s like taco meat in a convenient, easy to carry loaf case. Helloooo Mr. Takealong Taco!

Some thoughts:

The seasoning you use will mean your carb counts will vary slightly. Since most packets contain roughly 20 carbs, I’m adding those 20 carbs to encapsulate the general carbiness of the packets.If you make your own spice, you can cut those carbs in half. I use Simply Organic–(check the link for their store locator).

Use a quality salsa. If you go with a liquid salsa, you’re going to have issues with watery meatloaf, and we can’t have that. I buy a refrigerated, chunky salsa. If that’s too spendy, you could pour the liquid off of Rotel or your salsa and use the solids.

I use cheddar cheese, but pepper jack would be a super spicy, fun treat.

If you want extra spice, you can use an added packet of taco seasoning, but I tried to sub in some zip with the salsa instead since it adds some natural flavor and color for fewer carbs (and chemicals).

Be really careful pouring off any hot liquids. Pour away from you.

Don’t store the meatloaf with the lettuce on top. The lettuce will wilt and become grainy and unappetizing. Instead, serve the fun sides with the dish, and let people add their own toppings.

For added fun, set up a meatloaf topping bar, complete with sour cream, guacamole, taco sauce, hot sauce, queso, salsa, black olives, grilled onions/peppers, and fresh lettuce, tomato and extra shredded cheese.

This meatloaf is Atkins induction friendly.

This meatloaf is gluten free so long as your seasoning is (check those labels!).

Need to cut fat? You can sub in a different flour in place of the pork rinds. The pork rinds account for 621 calories and 35 grams of fat (0 carbs). Since the pork rinds are a binding agent and help keep the meatloaf from being too dense, I’d sub in coconut flour, flax seed meal, basically anything that will help that you feel best suits your lifestyle.

If you have any questions or comments, please let me know in the comments below. I love hearing from you!

Mexican Meatloaf



2 lbs ground beef

1 egg

1 cup chunky salsa

1 package taco seasoning

1 cup pork rind flour (processed pork rinds into a fine crumb)

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Mix all egg, hamburger, seasoning, pork rind flour and 1/2 container of salsa (about 1 cup) until combined.

3. Press half of the meat mixture in a standard bread pan. Cover with 1/2 of the cheese.

5. Press remaining meat mixture over cheese.

6. Bake for an hour or until meat begins to shrink from pan sides.

7. Carefully pour out any excess liquids that might be bubbling around the edges of the dish.

8. Add the rest of the cheese.

9. Cook for five minutes more, or until cheese is bubbly.

10. Let rest 10 minutes and serve.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes and black olives.

Makes 1, 2 pound meatloaf. Serves 8.

Per 1/8th serving (sans added toppings and condiments): Calories: 507, Carbohydrates: 4.7g, Fiber: 1g, Net Carbohydrates: 3.7g, Protein: 33, Fat: 29g.