Gluten-Free Mediterranean Meatloaf
with Cauliflower & Potato Mash
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Here’s a classic family meal that most of us have made or eaten with hearty servings of mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables.
Mediterranean Flavours
My meatloaf recipe has a slight tweak that has proven to be popular in my home and circle of friends.
The meatloaf is sandwiched between layers of pickled red peppers, rocket or spinach leaves, feta cheese and olives, then slowly baked in a water bath.
This layering really brightens up the meatloaf, plus as an added bonus, looks pretty when served sliced.
What ingredient makes this meatloaf gluten-free?
As is the case with most meatloaves, breadcrumbs are added to give it some structure. Having a constant supply of frozen gluten-free breadcrumbs makes this meatloaf easy to put together, but failing that, I sometimes gather up any gluten-free crackers from my cupboards, grind them and use these as a substitute.
Gluten-Free Mediterranean Meatloaf
Meatloaf is a classic, family favourite dish, but this has a Mediterranean twist with tons of flavour and texture.The meatloaf is sandwiched between layers of pickled red peppers, rocket or spinach leaves, feta cheese and olives, and finished off with a tangy tomato glaze.Enjoy this meatloaf served warm with creamy cauliflower potato mash or on its own, sliced cold with a salad.
Equipment
- Deep loaf tin or casserole dish
- Deep roasting tray to use as a water bath
Ingredients
GLUTEN-FREE MEDITERRANEAN MEATLOAF
Meatloaf Mixture
- 500 g minced beef
- 75 g store-bought or homemade gluten-free breadcrumbs
- 1 carrot, grated
- 1 potato, grated
- 1 onion, white or red, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp dried thyme, or
- 2 tsp fresh thyme, chopped finely
- 1 tbsp gluten-free barbecue sauce
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Meatloaf Mediterranean Fillings
- 150 g feta cheese, crumbled
- 60 g fresh spinach, shredded or
- 60 g rocket/arugula leaves, shredded
- 15 green olives, whole
- 4 large slices of pickled red peppers (marinated red pimientos), sliced thinly
Tomato Glazing Sauce
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp gluten-free barbecue sauce
- 1 tbsp Tamari or gluten-free soy sauce
- 1 tsp runny honey
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- dash of Tabasco hot sauce (optional)
CAULIFLOWER POTATO MASH
- 8-10 potatoes, peeled
- ½ cauliflower head, broken into small floret pieces
- 3 tbsp butter
- 150-200 ml milk
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- salt and white pepper, to season
Instructions
Tomato Glazing Sauce
- In a small bowl, mix all the tomato glazing sauce ingredients together. Set aside to glaze the assembled meatloaf before cooking it.
GLUTEN-FREE MEDITERRANEAN MEATLOAF
Meatloaf Mixture
- Gather and measure all the meatloaf mixture ingredients together.
- In a medium bowl, mix all the meatloaf ingredients thoroughly using your hands or a fork.
- Place half the meatloaf mixture in a greased loaf tin or casserole dish.
- Press down the meatloaf mixture with the back of a spoon and lay the filling in the following order, starting with the red peppers.
- Next, the crumbled feta cheese and olives.
- Finally, the fresh rocket or spinach leaves.
- Place the remaining meatloaf mixture on top, pressing down with the back of a spoon.
Baking the Meatloaf
- Preheat the oven at 180°C/350°F.
- Brush half the amount of the glazing sauce liberally over the top of the meatloaf.
- Cover the meatloaf with foil and place the loaf tin or dish in a deep tray.
- Pour boiling water in the deep tray halfway up the sides of the loaf tin or dish.
- Bake covered for 25 minutes.
- Remove the foil and brush the meatloaf with the remaining glazing sauce.
- Bake for a further 20 minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to cool down for 20 minutes before slicing and serving. The meatloaf will still be very hot in the centre.
- If preferred, allow to completely cool down and carefully slice the meatloaf into even slices. This will prevent the meatloaf slice from falling apart and retain the nice pattern of the filling inside. Reheat the slices in the microwave or oven or serve cold.
CAULIFLOWER POTATO MASH
- Cook the potatoes in salted water for 15 mins until semi-soft, then add the cauliflower to cook for the final 10 minutes.
- Drain and mash the potatoes and cauliflower using a potato masher.
- Add the butter and milk until it becomes a creamy consistency. Season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper.
Serving
- Serve the Mediterranean meatloaf with the cauliflower potato mash and gluten-free barbecue sauce.
Notes
- Keeps for 2 days chilled
- Suitable to freeze in slices
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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Cold meatloaf slices makes a perfect potluck dish, picnic addition or light lunch.
Hi Sandra,
I have made this meatloaf a few times and it has always been a hit with my family and friends. The leftover slices, along with some sliced cheese, were used to make toasted sandwiches. They were tasty as well. Thanks Sandra for sharing all these fail-safe, delicious recipes with us.
Thanks Vathsala! Nice to hear from you again and to know you are still using my recipes!! Great idea regarding using the meatloaf slices as a toasted sandwich. I’ll have to try that out!! All the best!