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I've made many types of meatloafs in my life, never with the same ingredients, just using up what I have in the fridge and hoping that it tastes good.  That said, there are some ingredients that I've always had in my meatloafs: ketchup, mustard, sweet chilli sauce and breadcrumbs.  Now, none of those are carb friendly and I was presented with a challenge on how to create a tasty meatloaf without any of my go-to ingredients.  The following recipe is what I came up with today.  Now, many people have their own meatloaf recipes, and these recipes are often handed down through generations, so I can understand if you're hesitant to change what's likely a winning recipe.  That said, if you too are looking for a recipe for meatloaf either because you're new to cooking, or you're trying to find a sugar-free alternative, then this may be for you.  What's kind of different with this recipe is that it uses more eggs than the classic variant.  This meatloaf uses 5 eggs, 2 raw and 3 boiled.  The boiled eggs are inserted whole in the middle, so that when you cut it up, you can see the egg.  That idea is inspired by my Filipino background, where we have a steamed meatloaf dish called embutido which also uses whole eggs.  This meatloaf also has two kinds of cheeses, cottage and cheddar.  These cheeses are interchangeable with other cheeses according to your tastes.  For a cottage cheese replacement I would probably use 200g feta cheese, and then use a milder second cheese, like let's say gouda or mozzarella.  You can serve the meatloaf with some of the fake potatoes au gratin (recipe found in yesterday's blog) or perhaps some cauliflower mash or cauliflower rice (recipe to come!).

I would say that the taste of this meatloaf is fairly neutral.  That's not to say that it's not flavoursome nor is it bland.  My husband wanted me to make a simple meatloaf that didn't have any fancy ingredients in it, so there aren't any sundried tomatoes, or olives or seeds, or too much garlic etc.  It's a good family dish or buffet dish that can be jazzed up with a stronger tasting sauce.  Perhaps serve it with a choice of sauces such as a hot bernaise, café de paris, chilli aioli or even tzatziki.

LCHF Protein Rich Meatloaf
1 deep bread pan

Ingredients:
1kg ground beef
1 medium sized onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 eggs, raw
3 eggs, boiled'
1 dl créme fraiche
150 ml cottage cheese (or 200g feta for a stronger taste)
50g shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp fibre husk (psyllium husk)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp fresh chives (optional)

Directions:
1. Set the oven the oven to 225 degrees C.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the fibre husk, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper.
3. In a large bowl mix the ground beef, onion, raw eggs and cheddar cheese.
4. Add in the prepared spice mixture and the créme fraiche.  Mix well.  (I suggest using your hands!)
5. Prepare a deep bread loaf pan by lining it with foil.
6. Add half of the mixture to the pan.  Press firmly on to the meat so that it's fairly compact. 
7. Place the eggs into the pan (see picture below), pressing them down fairly firmly so that they stay in place.
8. Place the rest of the meat mixture on top, again, pressing down fairly firmly.  You may find that the meat may be a little higher than the edge of the pan.  Don't worry, it won't rise like bread does, more likely it will shrink somewhat depending on the fat content of your meat. 
9. Place meatloaf in the oven for 40-45 minutes.  Check meatloaf halfway through, if it seems overly brown on the top, place a bit of foil on top for the remainder of the cooking time.
10. Allow to cool slightly and then carefully drain the excess fat from the loaf pan.  Let rest for 20 minutes uncovered before serving.