Hello Dear Reader,
To make a thrifty and gluten free meatloaf you will need:
350g of minced beef (any minced meat will do, or soya/quorn mince) £1 - I pay £10 for 4 kilos from our local butchers. - 224 calories per portions
2 small onions - finely diced - 8p - 15 calories per portion
1/4 head of celery 10p (39p each this week in Aldi) -5 calories per portion
3 slices of gluten free bread turned into bread crumbs - 75p! I jeffin' know! What do they make it from? 52 calories per portion
2 beaten free range eggs 33p- 35 calories per portion
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of chopped sage - dried or fresh.
sprinkle of garlic granules and paprika
Total cost - £2.55 - serves 4 so 63p each. Total calories per portion - 296 calories per portion. Thrifty, low fat and healthy. 391 calories with the vegetables and gravy.
Pulse the chopped celery and onions in the food processor or finely diced it by hand.
Pulse the ripped up gluten free bread and then add the lot to the minced beef.
Use your hands to mix everything together.
I started with only one egg but added another as the gluten free bread crumbs don't hold the mixture together that well. I cooked it in a loaf tin that I lined with grease proof paper. It makes it easier to lift it out and onto the cutting board when I want to serve it.
Push the mixture well down into the baking tin. Bake it at 180C for 30/40 minutes. Push it down with a knife, if no juices can be seen, then it's cooked.
Here it is cooked and I wish you could smell this and have a taste as it's totally heavenly. Proper winter comfort food!
Here's why I use grease proof paper and how easy it is to lift out.
We ate it with half a pointed cabbage each and 200g of carrots each, which along with gravy added another 95 calories to our supper. Who said being on a calorie controlled diet is boring?? I've put two portions of the meatloaf back in the fridge for our lunch one day next week. I'll take mine to work with salad and eat it cold.
I'm making the most of my last two days off. Looking after myself this morning, cooking healthy food for us this afternoon and quilting this evening. We also have friends coming for lunch with us tomorrow and that will be lovely to see them again.
Over to you Dear Reader, who is looking forward to getting back to work? Who makes meatloaf and what do you put in yours? Who makes a veggie version as I would love your recipe. Does anyone else follow Bonnie's blog and use her free quilt designs?
As every, I look forward to hearing from you and I'll be back tomorrow,
Love Froogs xxxx
#glutenfreemeatloaf
Looking good and radiant!! You've reminded me I really need to do something about my brows.
ReplyDeleteI'm going back too on Monday. These two weeks have flown by and I'm looking forward to Spring now.... Not sure if we'll get snow first though, I have a sneaky feeling winter hasn't started yet. Enjoy the last days of freedom!
Back to reading your blog after 48 hours of no internet connection! You're looking lovely. Now our debt has gone, I'm determined to spend a bit more on me (no new clothes for almost 3 years and everything else darned, stitched, repaired, home haircuts etc). New pair of jeans this week for starters! What a treat.
ReplyDeleteI have never made meatloaf but it sounds exactly like the ingredients I use in home made burgers. Must give this a go for a change. Enjoy the weekend x
Thanks for this I am going to make this for my daughter who has coeliac disease. By the way I am taking your advice of 30 mins on the running machine. I have my ipod ready at the side of my trainers for Sunday morning ....No more..."I'm gonna" bullshit ....Thanks Froogs xx
ReplyDeleteLooking good Frugal Queen.I'm trying to look after myself more too. Am making a baby quilt using the design you used for your brother's star quilt. I have bookmarked Bonnie's site it looks very good .
ReplyDeleteOur summer holidays here in Australia,so I have another 3 weeks off. Love pottering around at home. Don't know how I fit work and so much in my days during term time!
ReplyDeleteI make meatloaf with pork mince, oats, onions, a little lemon zest and some thyme. Last time I used some chicken breast that I got reduced, and minced it in the food processor (fabulous tool, glad I eventually saved up and got one) and some pork mince.
ReplyDeleteyour skin looks beautiful ,which skincare and makeup do you use? You are so inspiring !
ReplyDeleteI luff meat loaf and am sad about returning to work this week. Grateful for my job but love a break from it. I wish you could come to Aust and to my supermarket so you could see with your own eyes the sky high prices we pay for everything. You would be SHOCKED. SHOCKED I tell you. I make meatloaf with bbq sauce tipped on the top. Try it, you'd like it. Good for you re the grooming- when I look good I feel better x
ReplyDeleteYum! Think this will be on our menu next week! Loving the happy face :-)
ReplyDeleteInstead of the gluten free bread you could substitute potato flakes as a binder in the meatloaf. Might be a bit cheaper, and I find I like the taste of it better too
ReplyDeleteLooking gorgeous, Froogs!
ReplyDeleteRe the gluten free breadcrumbs: I use a mixture of almond meal, flaxseed meal and buckwheat flour instead. I have not costed it specifically so can't help on that score. Crushed cornflakes could also be a substitue for at least a portion of the crumbs.
Froogs I know gluten free is costly. I am thinking of substitutes. I used to make a chicken loaf using left over cooked rice. I wonder if it would work.
ReplyDeleteFroogs,I have always loved meatloaf, and as costs have gone up, as well as for health reasons, I switched to using 50-50 ground beef-ground poultry (which is cheaper for me). I also include the following: 2 eggs, milk (use reconstituted milk as it's cheaper), celery, onion, red/green pepper, black pepper, ground sage/poultry seasoning, Italian seasoned bread crumbs (home made). Mix up all ingredients except the meat, let it sit a bit, gently incorporate the meat, handling it as little as possible. I experimented and found that I can "bake" this off in a glass loaf pan that fits my large, oval crock pot. I top it with ketchup or BBQ sauce if that is all I have (or mix up a concoction of take out/away condiment packets from the teens). Comes out so moist and uses so little electricity in the process.
ReplyDeleteRegarding going gluten free: since the cost of GF bread is so high, why not use oats? cheap, easily accessible, as well as gluten free. Just a thought.
Carol in CT
Morning frogs,
ReplyDeleteJust a quick note, could you change the link in your blog roll to my new self hosted one? I am now www.mortgagefreejourney.co.uk (not blogspot) I have posted lots in the last week which wouldn't have updated onto your sidebar.
Your meatloaf looks lovely I have never ate or made meatloaf before, I must try it soon. Once hubby is back to work properly tomorrow I will get back in the swing of homemade meals x
I have an exciting announcement coming soon which I can't wait to share :-)
Stacey at mortgage free journey
that quilt is soo pretty! and you too! I really like your jumper. We won't be eating meat for some time, we had at christhmas, new years, and got some as gift (home made dried meat) witch is much since usually we have it once a month or so.
ReplyDeleteI often use half mince half soya mince ( add a little less water so that the mixture is dryer than usual) which is much cheaper. I also use oats or grated potato instead of crumbs.
ReplyDeleteI am sure you know that this mixture also makes pretty good meatballs.
I like your idea of lining the loaf tin, I'll deffo use that
Gosh you are looking glam!
happy New Year Froogs
Gillx
Nooo ! I'm not looking forward to going back to work ! I've only got 3 years of teaching left and I'm starting to count backwards already. I love my job and I am so grateful to know that it is safe and meaningful but around here, it is getting more and more difficult as the standards of family education are falling lower and lower, the almighty Government keeps changing the programs and teachers are less and less respected. I manage because I've got a good contact with the students, I'm enthusiastic and I respect their culture but it is looking forward to a retirement-long of pottering about the house, meeting my friends and taking long strolls along the beach whenever I want that keeps me going !x
ReplyDeleteI'll be making the meatloaf when hubby home again-he works away-I'll substitute chopped leek for the onion as I'm not good with onion :).
ReplyDeleteI got some GF couscous from a large A*** whilst I was away - wonder if that would work in it?
In place of bread, I've used a tinned chickpeas. I find this binds well too.
ReplyDeleteI've put two portions of the meatloaf back in the fridge for our lunch one day next week. I'll take mine to work with salad and eat it cold. Guaranteed Niche High Quality Backlinks
ReplyDeleteI don't know about the costs in your area, but I can make gluten free bread far cheaper than I can buy it. Obviously not as inexpensively as wheat bread, but that is no longer an option for us so I do the best I can.
ReplyDeleteI've been baking most of mine in the bread machine for ease.
Great recipe and you look really weell
ReplyDeleteOh, meatloaf! Haven't made that for ages! think I will have a try.
ReplyDeleteJane
shoestringcottage.wordpress.com
Thank you for inspiring me to make meatloaf, I made one today using pork mince and minced vegetables, it smells delicious, we will have it for dinner tomorrow with veg and gravy.
ReplyDeleteI use oatmeal in my meatloaf instead of bread crumbs. It works very well
ReplyDeleteI use oatmeal in my meatloaf instead of bread crumbs. It works great.
ReplyDeleteJust made this in 40 degree heat with 100 percent humidity during a thunder storm ! I add bbq sauce to the top and a grated carrot. Thanks for the idea! xxx
ReplyDelete