Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf

Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf from http://meatified.com #paleo #glutenfree

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One of the first things I ever cooked for Mr Meatified was a meatloaf. It was a complete and utter disaster – which is hilarious when you consider that the basic idea behind meatloaf is so simple. To this day, we still refer to “THE MEATLOAF” and laugh about just how hideous it was. But the good news is, I’ve learned a lot of kitchen lessons in the years since that recipe fail! And I’m here to tell you about how easy it is to make a Breakfast Meatloaf – in the slow cooker!

So what’s a Breakfast Meatloaf? It’s a meatloaf with all the flavors of a great breakfast sausage, but without the hassle of shaping either individual patties or filling sausage links. It’s made in the slow cooker, which means that this Breakfast Meatloaf has no chance of drying out or falling apart. Better yet, this Breakfast Meatloaf is a great make-ahead recipe to add to your arsenal of simple, quick & easy eats. It is just perfect for making ahead, stashing in the refrigerator and then slicing and reheating for breakfast as and when you need it. Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf is basically your new best friend!

hamilton beach slow cooker

This is the slow cooker model I use. I love it because it’s a large 6 qt size which is perfect for this recipe, plus it has a stoneware insert instead of a non-stick coated metal liner. It’s programmable and – my favorite part – has a temperature probe which allows you to cook meats to the correct internal temperature instead of guessing at cooking time! All that good stuff for under $50 makes it a winner to me!

How to make Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf

  • Soften some onions in a little coconut oil, until they are just translucent.
  • Remove the softened onions from the heat and set aside while you measure out your seasonings.
  • Add all the other ingredients (except the ground pork) to the same bowl as your seasonings: stir to combine.
  • Stir the softened onions through the seasoning mixture so that they continue to cool down further.
  • Add the ground pork to the bowl and use your hands to just combine all the ingredients together.
  • Place your Breakfast Meatloaf mixture in the center of your slow cooker’s insert; pat it into shape so that there is at least a 1/2 inch gap all around between the loaf and the sides of the slow cooker – just follow the edge of your slow cooker’s insert as a guide for the shape:

Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf from http://meatified.com

  • Flatten and smooth over the top of the Breakfast Meatloaf, then put the lid on. If your slow cooker has a temperature probe (like this model), use it now.
  • Cook on low until the internal temperature reaches 150F, about 3 hours.

How to serve Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf

Once the Breakfast Meatloaf is done, it can be eaten straight away. But it is so much better once it has been refrigerated overnight! To remove the Breakfast Meatloaf from the slow cooker, let it sit in the turned off slow cooker for 15 – 30 minutes. That gives it some time to firm up a little. Then you can remove it by sliding two spatulas underneath each end and transfer it to another dish.

Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf from http://meatified.com #paleo #glutenfree

Cover the Breakfast Meatloaf and refrigerate it overnight. When you are ready to eat, cut slices of Breakfast Meatloaf and add them to a skillet or griddle with a little coconut oil. Cook the Breakfast Meatloaf slices over low-medium heat for about 2 minutes a side, until they have browned nicely and are hot all the way through. As you would expect, this Breakfast Meatloaf is especially delicious with a lovely runny egg on top!

Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf from http://meatified.com #paleo #glutenfree

Bonus point: this Breakfast Meatloaf can easily be made Whole30 and 21 Day Sugar Detox compliant by omitting the maple syrup. Yay!

Print

Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf

This Breakfast Meatloaf has all the flavor of traditional breakfast sausage, but is easier to make & more convenient.

  • Author: Rachael Bryant / Meatified
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 3 hours
  • Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Soften the diced onion in the 1 tbl coconut oil at low-medium heat, cooking until they are just translucent. Remove from the heat and set aside.
  2. Add all remaining ingredients except the ground pork to a large bowl. Whisk or stir to combine.
  3. Add the ground pork and softened onions to the bowl and use your hands to evenly combine all the ingredients.
  4. Gather up the meat mixture and place it in the center of your slow cooker’s insert. Use your hands to shape the loaf so that it has at least a half inch gap between the loaf and the sides of the insert.
  5. Pat the top of the loaf flat and put the lid on the slow cooker.
  6. If your slow cooker has a temperature probe, slide that into the meatloaf now, making sure not to let it touch the bottom of the pot.
  7. Cook the meatloaf on low until it reaches an internal temperature of 150F, about 3 hours.
  8. You can remove the meatloaf from the slow cooker straight away, but it is easier and more sturdy if you let the meatloaf sit for 15 – 30 minutes in the turned off and uncovered slow cooker before trying to transfer it to another dish.
  9. The meatloaf can be eaten immediately, but is much better if it is refrigerated overnight and then sliced in the morning. Reheat the slices in an oiled skillet at low-medium for 1 – 2 minutes per side before serving.

Notes

If you don’t like whole fennel seeds, use a spice mill to grind them before adding to the meatloaf mixture.

Omit the maple syrup to make this Whole 30 and 21 Day Sugar Detox compliant.

Looking for an AIP take on this breakfast meatloaf? You can find it in my cookbook!

Looking for more Whole30 breakfast ideas? My Thirty Days of Whole30 Breakfast Recipes post has you covered.

Looking for AIP breakfast ideas? Check out 85 Amazing AIP Breakfasts.

Thirty of the best Whole 30 recipes for breakfast or any time... including breakfast meatloaf!

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Slow Cooker Breakfast Meatloaf from http://meatified.com #paleo #glutenfree

95 comments

  1. I saw this recipe on Chowstalker and thought that this sounded fantastic!! I have pinned it to make for our breakfast in the very near future!! 😀

  2. I have an overabundance of ground beef (from our CSA) and ground venison (my son got 2 deer this year). What adaptations do you think I’d need to make if I used either (or a mixture of both) of those?

    1. Do you know how lean they are? The fat in the pork keeps this loaf tender, so if your beef and venison is very lean, you may have to make some changes.

    1. The almond flour is there as a substitute for the usual breadcrumbs in traditional recipes, so those would work better.

  3. I can’t wait to try this — I use Penzey’s breakfast sausage seasoning to make breakfast sausage… but it’s a total PITA to shape all those patties. I can’t wait to go to the store this evening to get some ground pork to try this out!

    1. I’m excited for you! I actually just finished making another one of these, we love how easy and convenient it is 🙂

  4. I see all your recipes on “meatified.com” but I do not see that there is a corresponding book. I can’t figure out who “meatified” is, so I can’t search for an author, either. I would rather buy a recipe book than keep coming back to the Internet and sitting and scrolling through the site. Is there a book with all your wonderful recipes? Thanks.

    1. Right now I don’t have a book available. I am, however, currently working on a print book of 120+ Autoimmune Paleo recipes, which will be published next spring! Thank you for your support and I’m sorry that I can’t be more helpful at this point.

      –Rach

  5. Ooh yum! I made these for Whole 30 Breakfast Day 1… what a great way to start our journey! I of course had to make a couple changes, I can’t help it 🙂 I used 1 pound beef and 1 pound pork and used a large muffin pan. Baked for 45 mins at 350 degrees, could’ve used 10-15 more mins though. Awesome, awesome love the heat from the pepper flakes! Served the muffin butterflied with two velvety basted eggs… I’m in heaven. Thank you for the wonderful recipe 🙂

  6. Could this possibly be frozen after the slower cooker portion and then reheated in a microwave or should it be cooked in the slow cooker, refrigerated overnight, be sliced and cooked in the skillet the next morning and then frozen and reheated? I’m doing a whole30 in August and since I usually eat breakfast & lunch at work, I’m trying to get most of my cooking done on the weekend so I can have grab and go meals during the week so I’m successful. Thanks for your time!

    1. I haven’t tested out freezing this because it disappears so fast in my house – but if I were to try, I’d cook it, then slice and freeze. Then I’d defrost and either eat the slices cold (because I’m gross like that) or reheat once thawed 🙂

    2. I made this the other day. I sliced it and froze it in individual portions. When we want to eat it we take out a few slices and put them right into the cast iron pan still frozen. They cook up in a few minutes, crispy on the outside and nice and hot on the inside. My husband and I LOVE this recipe! Thank you!

  7. Hiya I love this recipe its exactly what I have been looking for a real time saver. Just one question my hubbie is allergic to almonds is there anything else I can use besides the almond flour? Do I even need flour at all for the recipe? I would love to be able to do it with out flour. Thanks in advance for your reply.

    1. You can leave it out as it’s just a filler that stops the loaf from being tough. You could try subbing some extra diced vegetables or crushed pork rinds if you wanted 🙂

  8. Pretty good! Made it on Sunday so that we could eat throughout the week (it’s just my husband and I). I have some Paleo ketchup I made so I’ve been spreading the ketchup on the slices, then topping with sliced tomatoes from my CSA and a fried egg. I had planned to saute up some veggies as well but I’ve been a bit lazy so we’ve been eating with bananas. I’d make again! Small changes I made: Hickory smoked salt, Smoked Spanish paprika, Aleppo pepper instead of crushed red pepper, only had 1 tsp of fennel seeds so threw in 1 tsp of caraway seeds, 1/4 tsp cumin + a pinch of dill. This is a super forgiving recipe spice wise 🙂

    1. I make mine in a 6qt, but it doesn’t get anywhere near to the top of the stoneware, so I think it would be fine! I looked up a few 4 qts on amazon, and if you can fit a 4lb chicken in those, then 2lbs of meat should be a-ok 🙂

  9. This is a fabulous breakfast, lunch or even dinner meal. I love it with poached eggs, or with veges. The second time I made it with Pork and Veal mince and it tasted like Christmas Turkey stuffing – very yummy. Thanks so much, this is definitely one of my favourites.

    1. This is so great to hear – I’m so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! And your veal addition sounds great 🙂

  10. I have made this 3 times now! We love it. How many does it actually serve? Do you post nutritional information with your recipes? Thanks.

    1. Here’s the nutrition info for what I used–I did not include onions or the spices in the calculations, as it is minuscule. For two lbs of ground pork: 2,328 calories, 176 g fat, 160 G protein, 0 carbs. Almond Meal (Trader Joe brand): 270 calories, 22.5 g fat, 7.5 carb, 10.5 protein. Coconut oil (Nutiva): 130 calories, 14 fat, 0 carb & protein.

      Total: 2728 calories, 212.5 fat, 170.5 protein, 7.5 carbs.

      If you do 8 (4) ounce servings, it would be 341 calories, 26.56 fat, 21.31 protein, and 0.94 carbs per serving.

      Of course, I’m not sure how much this will shrink up (it’s cooking right now and smells heavenly!)–so maybe 6 servings will be more realistic.

      Also, I used 1/4 c + 1/8 c of almond meal instead of the 1/2 c of almond flour–the rest I followed exactly.

  11. Not going to lie, I was a little skeptical of this after seeing it in the crockpot…NOT pretty!! However, once you do as you said and let it set over night, then fry it…WOW!! We LOVE this recipe. We don’t really like sausage in our house, mainly because of the fennel, so I left that out (and the syrup because Whole30), but this is just fantastic. We cook just like in the pictures; with a dippy egg and some tomato slices. Perfection!

    1. Hahaha, I hear you — uncooked meatloaf is no looker! So glad you enjoyed it and could tweak it to suit your tastes 🙂

  12. I want to try Whole 30 Diet but not sure about some of the quantities. How much is the serving size for the meatloaf? 6oz? 8oz?
    Thanks

    1. I’m sorry, I don’t weigh or measure my food so I’m not sure. The recipe will yield about 8 thick slices.

    1. I’ve never tried making this with beef. You would want to use ground beef that has about 5 – 7% fat in it to avoid it becoming dry and switch out the seasonings to suit the beef, like rosemary and thyme.

  13. I absolutely love this meatloaf recipe! Have made it several times since finding it on your site. It is the best I have ever tasted and I’ve tasted and made many meatloaves in my life. This has become a number one meal for us. Many thanks for sharing!

  14. I just made this… amazing! I did use ground turkey breakfast sausage and switched flours… used ground flaxseed. I made 14 slices, freezed half of them. Will definitely do this again.

  15. If I wanted to make this without the slow cooker, any idea at what temperature and how long it would need to cook? I’m thinking 350 for 45-60 min in a loaf pan? I’m looking forward to trying this! It sounds delicious!

    1. I haven’t tried making this in the oven personally, but 350F sounds about right, but it may need a little longer than that to cook, since it’s 2 lbs of pork. I’d check it at the 60 minute mark and go from there!

  16. Made this end of last week and we are still eating this for breakfast. Love it. It did not shrink up very much. I do not care for fennel either, but with all the other spices, you can’t taste it very much.

  17. Sounds great! I can’t have almond flour. What AIP flour would you recommend I substitute with? I’ve reintroduced paprika so I’m not worried about that. Thank you, it sounds great!

    1. I would suggest trying about 1/4 cup of sifted coconut flour, if you can tolerate it. That said, you could probably get away with skipping the flour, but might want to reduce the eggs to one if you do. Hope that helps!

  18. Hi Rachel! So excited to have found you! I am a new Keto-er and your recipes look AMAZING! I am about to make the meatloaf here and I do not see the amount of servings on the recipe. Can you tell me how many servings this makes so I can enter it into my nutrient data on the keto diet app? Thank you! I will share this recipe for sure. I have lots of friends on keto that will be super happy to try it! 🙂

    1. Hi there, thank you so much for your kind words! 🙂 I usually slice this into about 8 – 10 slices, with the end pieces being a little smaller than the others because of the shape of the slow cooker and how the meatloaf tapers at the ends. Hope that helps!

  19. I just made this with 1 lb of ground beef (I halved the recipe). Instead of sage and thyme, I used dried rosemary and basil. I didn’t have onion or fennel, but I added onion crystals. Also, maple flavoring and a few shakes of stevia powder instead of maple syrup. It’s sitting now with the slow cooker top off, but I couldn’t resist tasting it right away. It is delicious! And it was so easy to make. I’m sure I’ll be making it often.

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