Ricotta Stuffed Meatloaf

I am wondering if Carmella from the Sopranos would shake her head in disgust. I imagine her waving her french tip acrylic finger nails saying “What the hell is this meatloaf/ lasagna hybrid?! Where are the noodles?!”

Yes, this is a low carb version of a meatloaf, lasagna or whatever Italian meal you’re craving. Maybe Carmela thinks it’s an abomination, but it is damn good and hits the spot when you are dieting or just want to eat lower carb. We scraped our plates clean when I served this for dinner and the next day when we ate leftovers for lunch. It reheats super easily and was SO filling. I can honestly say I wasn’t missing the noodles.

PS- be sure to put a baking sheet under the loaf pan as it will probably leak some grease.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef

• 1 pound ground pork (or sweet/ spicy Italian sausage)

• 3 eggs

• 1/2 cup almond flour

• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 teaspoon pepper

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

• 2 cups ricotta

• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

• 1 cup fresh, raw spinach

• 1 jar marinara sauce (my favorite is Rao’s)

Directions:

1. Combine the meats, almond flour, Parmesan, 2 of the eggs and spices in a large glass bowl until all ingredients are throughly combined.

2. In a separate glass bowl, add the ricotta, mozzarella, 1 egg and spinach. Mix with a spoon to combine.

3. Line a standard loaf pan with a piece of aluminum foil with the ends sticking out so that you can easily remove the meatloaf later on. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

4. Set about a quarter of the meat mixture to the side. This will be the top of the loaf. Use the remaining 3/4 meat mixture to line the bottom and sides of the loaf pan leaving the inside hollow. Carefully spoon the ricotta mixture into the hollow part of the loaf. Then finish by covering the whole thing with the rest of the meat mixture. I found it helpful to pat the last of the meat into a rectangular shape so I could easily lay it on top.

5. Place the loaf pan on a baking sheet, cover it with foil and bake on 375 F for an hour. Remove the foil on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes and if you’d like, broil for a minute or two at the very end to develop a nice crust.

6. In the last 10 minutes of baking, add a jar of marinara to a sauce pan and heat. Serve the marinara over the meatloaf with a bit of basil and Parmesan.