This past weekend I taught a Low Carb Cooking Class and a sweet lady named Susan emailed me ahead of time and promised a sampling of the best meatloaf I’ve ever had in my life – as well as the recipe. Now, when you consider how long I’ve been eating good food, that is a lofty promise. So I need you to really pay attention to the my next sentence…. She was right. This is the absolute, be all, end all, best meatloaf I have ever tasted in my entire life. I have since made it twice and forced everyone I come into contact with to try it and they have admitted the same thing.
Folks, your life has been missing something and it is this meatloaf. The flavor, tenderness, juiciness, and beauty of it are the stuff of legends. Susan, folks are going to build a statue in your honor one of these days.
Now let’s stop lallygagging and hightail it into the kitchen folks, because there is no time to waste when you have something as delicious as this meatloaf waiting on ya.
You’ll need: Ground Turkey or Chicken*, Ground Beef, Eggs, Pork Rinds (plain)*, Onion Soup Mix, Reduced Sugar Ketchup, and Water.
*Ground WHAT? I was surprised by the turkey/chicken in this recipe. Really surprised. This beefy tasting meatloaf doesn’t give away that half of the meat is poultry but it sure does add a tender texture to it. Note that the original recipe called for chicken but I didn’t see ground chicken at my grocery so I used ground turkey and it tasted the same to me. Also note that I have always disliked biting into something I expected to be beef and finding it is chicken – but this meatloaf recipe forever altered my thinking on that!
This lineup of ingredients looks innocent enough but when combined together they create a kitchen miracle and turn out this mouthwatering meatloaf that I cannot stop thinking about! I have made my mother promise me she will make it this week.
You can use regular ketchup in this if you want but reduced sugar is really going to save you on carbs. I LOVE ketchup so I gladly use the reduced sugar version – so I can have double the amount I might have had otherwise ;). I buy Heinz Reduced Sugar ketchup at Wal Mart.
*We no longer eat pork but I’ve parmesan cheese to be a great substitute that adds flavor and acts as a binder.
Crush your pork rinds. I just put them in this bag and rolled a can of something or another over them. A rolling pin works, too. As would car tires – but I only get that extreme around the holidays*. 
*We have a family tradition of running over large candy canes with our cars to use as toppings on cookies and candies. Don’t worry, we double bag them first and only use licensed drivers ;).
Mix all meatloaf ingredients together using your hands in a large bowl. Mix, mix, mix until it is really well blended. I guess you could use a stand mixer to mix this if you like but I’ve always seen it mixed with hands so I just keep with old habits. If it ain’t broke…
Susan’s recipe calls for taking the end pieces of a loaf of bread and placing them up against each other in the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. I love that this uses up the part of bread that sometimes gets discarded in houses. I decided to use my little baking dish that I use for rolls. It worked out okay but I recommend going with Susan’s suggestion and using a 9×13 because my pan worked out but a 9×13 is going to give you plenty of room for any grease or liquid to accumulate. Mine almost overflowed the pan a bit because I used a shallow dish.
Turns out, there is something to be said for following a recipe… (I’m not saying a word).
Using your hands (still), form the meat mixture into a loaf on top of the bread in your baking dish. Press it together a bit as you do so. Squiggle a little additional ketchup on top again if you like (this is additional to what the recipe calls for).
Bake this at 350 for an hour.
While that is cooking, this is the perfect time to brew up some Southern Breeze Sweet Tea. This is the sugar free, zero carb sweet tea that is as simple to make as pouring hot water over the bags and letting them steep for a few minutes. This stuff is the real deal, made in Marietta, Georgia.
Let me show you how easy it is to make. I actually brew mine right in the pitcher.
- I pour about an inch of cool water in the bottom of a 2 quart pitcher (one that can handle heat). This is an old habit of mine, you can skip it if you like.
- Bring some water to a boil in my electric kettle (click here to see the one I have), toss two family size tea bags in the pitcher, and pour the boiling water over.
- Let it sit for 3-5 minutes, then remove my bags and fill the pitcher up the rest of the way with water for perfectly sweetened Southern iced tea every time. This photo is just before removing the bags and adding more water.
These three simple steps will yield perfectly sweetened Southern iced tea every time, great with my low carb eating and surviving the month of August in Alabama. Be sure you visit their website for a coupon to use when you go out hunting for it later on today (click here and then choose “sweet deals” at the top of their page)! They also have a tool that will tell you what stores in your area carry their tea.
Click here to find what stores in your area carry Southern Breeze Sweet Tea.
A glass of Southern Breeze Original Sweet Tea is just what this meal needs.
Allow to sit for ten minutes before cutting. After the ten minutes, it cuts beautifully.
Get ready for the most amazing meatloaf I have ever tasted in my life.
- 1 envelope Onion Soup Mix.
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup water
- ⅓ cup No Fructose Ketchup (I used reduced sugar)
- ¾ cup crushed PORK RINDS (crush, then measure) *
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Using clean hands, mix together all ingredients in a large bowl until well blended.
- Place two ends from a loaf of bread, end to end, onto the surface of a 9’x13’ baking dish.
- Form the meat mixture into a loaf, on top of the bread slices
- Squeeze a little more ketchup on top of the meatloaf.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Let stand for 10 minutes, before slicing
To take this meatloaf over the moon, heat each slice on a sizzling hot cast iron griddle skillet, putting a crusty sear on both sides!
Peel off the bread, from the bottom of each slice of meatloaf, and give it to your 4-legged children. Tails will wag, and they will love you forever!!!
*We no longer eat pork but I've parmesan cheese to be a great substitute that adds flavor and acts as a binder. I add about ½ cup.
The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course.
~Billy Graham
Special thanks to Southern Breeze Sweet Tea for sponsoring this post and helping me bring this wonderful recipe to you!
Christy,
I am Susan’s (creator of this recipe) husband. We recently started smoking this on my Kamado grill and I use just two or three hickory chunks. The smoky flavor really sets it off. It is now the to die for and been reincarnated meatloaf.
Smoke it at the same temp as you would in the oven. I consider it done when the internal temp reaches 165.
Thank you so much for letting me know Clay, I can’t wait to try it!!!!
I live in Arkansas and would love to know where I can purchase this Southern Breeze tea?
Hi Norma, I am not really sure where you could find it in your area but I would start by using their store locator. Here is a link to it: https://southernbreezesweettea.com/pages/store-locator
To Susan, can you suggest s substitute for Pork Rinds? I’m not able to eat them for cardiac health & restrictions??
Also, if you give the meatloaf to dogs/cats.. It could cause a major medical issues. They aren’t equipped to deal w/ the onion soup mix, used as seasoning. So check w/ a Veterinarian first!! I know they are much loved here too!!
My cardiology team have OK’d pork rinds in moderate amounts. Go figure. If I only eat meatloaf twice a month and this recipe has only 3/4 cup per 8 servings (2lbs of meat yields 8 servings on a cardiac diet) it is very safe to consume….
I a man so glad to hear that!!
I have *just* started low-carb eating for weight loss, and this sounds delish! When I get to where I have an oven again I’m soooo making this!
I hope you get the chance to soon!!
Sounds yummy but Very interested in how many carbs in the recipe. My carb info on the onion soup mix is WAY high–30 carbs in 1/4 packet. Is this off –what do others find?
(Thanks for the tip on reduced sugar ketchup–didn’t know it existed.)
I just looked at mine, it says 4g per 1/4 packet. It’s just the Walmart store brand. Hopefully you misread yours.
Ready to try this but one question….what pct on the ground beef? Thanks in advance!
Hey Jimmy! I’m afraid I don’t know what you mean by pct. I hope to be able to answer!
I was wondering the same thing. What percent lean of ground beef is suggested? Thanks!
The lean pct….80? 85? 90? Thanks !
30/70…80/20 etc,etc
AH ok! I always go for the leaner varieties on my meatloaf to cut down on grease.
Oh my goodness!!! I don’t remember how I stumbled across this website yesterday but so far I’ve spent about 5 hours on her just browsing and reading!! Christy!!! Your website is incredible!!! I have loved reading the stories that go along with the recipes!!! And the videos?? Genius!!
We love our meatloaf here but mine was always dry and tough! My family so graciously tried their best to reassure me that it was great, but I knew better!! But this recipe is amazing!! I was skeptical, I will admit, but it is outstanding!! It is very moist and tender!! I love the idea of the bread on the bottom!!!
Love this place here…….got my sweet tea and am going to stay awhile!!
Welcome to Southern Plate Amy!! I am so glad you stumbled in and I look forward to getting to know you. Make sure to sign up for my free newsletter to keep up with all the latest posts!
Oh yes, that is one of the first things I did!!! : )
Thank you for the warm welcome!!!
I’m going to start cooking the low carb way fo my husband and me. I’m thinking of doing this without mentioning it to him. He is diabetic and likes to eat like he isn’t, so I’m going to give this a try. I love to cook and new recipes are up my alley. So glad I came across your Southern Plate!
This is sooop good. Made it for supper and husband asked why I hadnt been using this recipe before.
I meant sooooo good. Not soop good.
What is the bread on the bottom for?
It soaks up the grease from the meat.
Can’t wait to try this, it’s a perfect fit for Keto. Also, I just ordered the tea you posted here as well. Thank you so much.
How many servings does this make?
Depends on how hungry you are and how much you eat
It makes a loaf pan.
Christy, what type of sweetener is in the tea you show?
Southern Breeze is presweetened with sucralose
Christy, When you use parmesan in place of the pork rinds, do you use the powdered version (like Kraft) or do you use the grated deli version? Thank you!
I usually use the powdered version.
could you sub chorizo for one of the meats? thinking this would add tons of flavor.
You could certainly try it!! If you do give it a go let me know how it turns out!
I have been making the same meatloaf recipe for 30 years, and, for kicks, I wanted to try something different. This recipe intrigued me, and I was excited to try it! Unfortunately, we were not fans of this meatloaf. While I am glad I tried something new, I will be going back to my tried and true version. Sorry.
I’m just glad you have a version y’all love! Have a great day and thanks for being here!
Christy, I made this meatloaf this week. Selfishly, I wanted a really good meatloaf recipe because my husband adores meatloaf above all other meat dishes. However, healthy eating isn’t on his agenda, and due to doctor’s orders, it is absolutely on mine. So, while I make separate meals for us, I would rather make something that is simple, and we both can enjoy. THIS IS IT! Wow! First time using pork rinds, it worked well. Thank you for your low carb recipes. And, as a retired Lutheran School principal/music teacher, I appreciated your devotional sheets, which I have shared with the entire student body. Blessings on your continued success to feed us well, and help us strengthen our faith. P.S. My husband loved, loved, loved the meatloaf! It’s a keeper.
Ruth, Las Cruces, NM
I am so glad to hear it was a hit Ruth!! Thank you so much and I pray God richly blesses you as well!
Hi!
Something went wrong with making this meatloaf. After I mixed all of the ingredients together, it was too wet to make it into a loaf. it just spilled freely in my baking dish? I just put it into the oven and it is spreading even more. What went wrong?
Hi Christy, am going to try this recipe….as my last one wasn’t that good LOL….but I have a meatloaf pan, so I don’t use the bread on the bottom of the dish, my meatloaf tits on a rack in my pan and the grease drops to the bottom of pan….I love it….
My question to you is what was the apple cake recipe you showed on this page with the recipe for this meatloaf. As it went away so fast and did not come backup ? I would like this recipe please….. also I tried to save a recipe, but nothing happens, it doesn’t even say it was saved or anything…..!!!
Can you please send me a link for this apple cake ? Not sure of name of cake , but was the first recipe on the advertising and I assume it was from you…..it just showed what to put in the recipe, but recipe did not come up and they did not show the amounts of ingredients to use !!!
In what form is the parmesan? Shredded, grated, etc
I usually use the grated kind but have used that powdered stuff like you put on top of spaghetti as well.
This is the best meatloaf ever! The bread on the bottom is a great idea to soak up the grease. I especially like the leftovers for sandwiches!
I am so glad you liked it Ann!!!
I’m looking at trying this tonight but don’t have the pork rinds, I’m on a low carb diet so guess I’ll try it with out them!!
Hey Lisa! I use parmesan cheese in place of them now and it works beautifully.
We quit pork about two years ago.