Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf

posted by Kalyn Denny on September 23, 2020

Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf is loaded with flavor from tomatoes and dried herbs, and this low-carb meatloaf is delicious! And it makes two meatloaves so you can freeze some for later! 

PIN Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf to try it later!

Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf is something I came up with a few years ago when I wanted a meatloaf recipe that didn’t use breadcrumbs or oatmeal. I tried a few experiments and ended up with this tasty meatloaf with ground beef, Italian sausage, drained and chopped canned tomatoes, dried herbs, and flax seed meal instead of bread crumbs to bind it together.

This is a delicious meatloaf recipe that I’ve enjoyed every time I’ve made it, and even though meatloaf is NOT very photogenic I recently took some new photos to see if I can entice more people to try this tasty meatloaf option! This recipe makes 12 servings of meatloaf, but it freezes well, and Kara and I loved it when we tested the recipe. If your family likes Italian sausage I’m betting this delicious meatloaf will probably get gobbled up pretty quickly at your house too.

What’s Special About Flaxseed Meal?

I love that this grain-free meatloaf uses Flaxseed Meal (affiliate link) to bind the ingredients together! Flax seeds are very rich in nutrients, and the oil is popular as a nutritional supplement. But flax seeds are more nutritious than just the oil because besides omega-3 fatty acids, the seeds are rich in both kinds of fiber and they also contain a phytoestrogen called lignans. And of special interest to carb-conscious eaters, flax seed meal has almost as much fiber as it does carbs, which means it’s very low in net carbs. And flaxseed meal is naturally gluten-free.

How to Make Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe, including nutritional information.)

1. I used to make this with slow roasted tomatoes, but they’re high in carbs so now I’d use well-drained and chopped canned tomatoes. 
2. Take the Italian Sausage and ground beef out of the packages and put them in a bowl to start to come to room temperature.
3. I used dry seasonings so they could help hold the meatloaf together. On top of the sausage and ground beef put Dried Onion (affiliate link), Garlic Powder (affiliate link), Dried Basil (affiliate link), Dried Parsley (affiliate link), salt, ground fennel (affiliate link), and Flaxseed Meal (affiliate link).
4. Use your clean hands to gently combine the mixture.  (Don’t overmix.)
5. I have a couple of mini roasting trays from the thrift store that I love to use for meatloaf because any fat from the meat drips down; use any kind of baking sheet if you don’t have a set-up like this. (Be sure to spray with non-stick spray!) 
6. Divide the meat mixture in two and form into two meatloaves. I like to make diagonal scores with a butter knife, which looks nice and gives a guide for cutting slices.
7. Cook the meatloaf for 1 hour, or until the temperature reaches 165F/75C on an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link). If you use turkey Italian Sausage, it’s especially important that it reaches that temperature. 
8. If you don’t have an Instant-Read Thermometer, you can cut one meatloaf open to see if it’s done.
9. Let meatloaf cool a few minutes, then cut into slices and serve. (This photo is one of the meatloaves, sliced.)
10. I’m not a big ketchup fan but I always eat this with G. Hughes Sugar-Free Ketchup (affiliate link)!

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

This would be great with Twice Baked Cauliflower, Fried Cauliflower with Bacon and Mushrooms, or Garlic-Roasted Green Beans for a delicious low-carb meal.

More Low-Carb Ground Beef Recipes:

Instant Pot Low-Carb Ground Beef Cauliflower Soup ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Low-Carb Beef Stroganoff Meatballs ~ I Breathe I’m Hungry
Tasty Low-Carb Soups with Ground Beef ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen
Keto Bacon Cheeseburger Casserole ~ Ditch the Carbs
Low-Carb Ground Beef Stroganoff Casserole ~ Kalyn’s Kitchen

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a new category called Weekend Food Prep  to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf with no breadcrumbs or oatmeal would be approved for any phase of the original South Beach Diet and other low-carb diet plans, and this recipe is also gluten-free. For the South Beach Diet, it’s recommend to use lean ground beef and low-fat turkey Italian sausage. If you’re following a strict low-carb plan, you might want to use less tomatoes, and most low-carb diets would prefer higher-fat ground beef and sausage.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Oven Dinners to find more recipes like this one. Use the Recipes by Diet Type photo index pages to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for This Recipe:
This tasty grain-free meatloaf was first posted in 2013. It was updated with new photos and better instructions in September 2020.