My daughter gave me the most yummy meat loaf  recipe years ago, from an old (cute) friend, Pam Turner.  I’ve never seen that girl without a smile on her face!  And Larry REALLY smiled when he tried my lo carb version.  So I will give you the original recipe, and then tell you the secret of how to get rid of those carbs!

MILDRED’S MEAT LOAF

1 1/2 lbs. Hamburger meat

1 can Hunt’s tomato sauce

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1/2 onion, finely chopped

12-16 squares Keebler club crackers, crushed

Spread ketchup over top

Mix all in a bowl, form into a loaf and bake at 425 degrees one hour

Now for my changes to make LO CARB MEATLOAF:

I used 1 lb. Ground turkey + 1 lb. mild Italian turkey sausage

Cut the tomato sauce in half.

And NOW…..for the BIG swap:  Instead of the crackers, I used crushed Pork Rinds!  Absolutely  ZERO carbs, wonderful crumbs, and the texture is there! They come in seasoned flavors also, so use your imagination!

SAUCE OR TOPPING:   I cannot ever make a meatloaf without using my mother’s topping! My recipe is 3 Tbs. ketchup+3 Tbs. Honey mustard.  (if you don’t have this, just add a Tbs. of honey to 2 Tbs. of mustard).  NOTE about carbs:  I know this topping adds carbs, but you are only making a thin layer on top —

You are probably wondering how many carbs are in this meatloaf.  In all the ingredients, the only one that has measurable carbs at all is the tomato sauce (16 in an 8 oz. can).  Actually, paste is less– 7 in a whole can of paste.  There is just little tiny bit in the onion, and a few in the milk–but if you are serious you could always use heavy cream, which is super low.  So use your own judgment!

Here’s an idea someone shared on the Internet:  You know how meatloaf sometimes has a lot of grease and you might even have to pour it off–in this case even more because of the pork rinds.  So the tip was to put two heels of bread in the bottom of the loaf pan while baking.  When it is done, take the bread out and give it to the dog.  Keeper was VERY happy!!