South Beach Phase One Meatloaf with Tomatoes, Fennel, and Flax Seed Meal

(Updated January 2008: I'm posting phase one recipes all during January, and this is one of my favorite phase one versions of meatloaf from January 2007.) Here's South Beach phase one recipe for a very interesting version of meatloaf that's as healthy as it is delicious. I'm one of those people who really likes meatloaf, even the version I used to make with canned soup that everyone in my family called Kalyn's Best Meatloaf. Two things inspired me to come up with this new, healthier version of meatloaf.

I had thawed out some of those wonderfully flavorful slow roasted tomatoes that I froze last summer.

And, for Christmas I got this great new countertop toaster/convection oven by Oster, and I was dying to try it out.

I used flaxseed meal instead of bread crumbs to make this a phase one recipe for the South Beach Diet. Flax seeds are very rich in nutrients, and the oil is becoming quite trendy as a nutritional supplement. But flax seeds are more nutritious than merely 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. Of interest to South Beach Dieters, flax seed meal has equal amounts of carbohydrates and fiber, which means no net carbs. The amount of flax seed meal I used in this recipe seemed perfect to bind the meatloaf together, but you could certainly use more.

Meatloaf with Tomatoes, Fennel, and Flax Seed Meal
(Makes two meat loaves, about 8-10 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 lbs. lean ground beef (less than 10% fat)
1 pkg. (19.5 oz.) hot turkey Italian Sausage
2 T dried chopped onion
1 T garlic powder
1 T dried basil
1 T dried parsley
1/2 cup flax seed meal (I used Bob's Red Mill Flaxseed Meal)
1 tsp. Vege-Sal (or 1/2 tsp. salt)
1 T ground fennel (I used Penzeys)
1 cup finely chopped slow roasted tomatoes
(or use sun-dried tomatoes - rinse with hot water if oil packed)
2 eggs slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove ground beef and turkey sausage links from refrigerator and let come to room temperature. In bowl, combine dried onion, garlic powder, dried basil, dried parsley, flax seed meal, Vege-sal or salt, and ground fennel. (I purposely used dried herbs since I wasn't adding much binder to the meatloaf and I didn't want added moisture.)

Squeeze turkey sausage out of casings in small pieces into large mixing bowl. Break ground beef into pieces and place in same bowl. Add dried herb/flax seed meal mixture, tomatoes, and eggs to meat mixture and use your hands to combine well. Try to mix the meat enough to get spices and eggs evenly distributed without overmixing.

Shape meat into two loaves. I prefer to bake meatloaf on a roasting rack, as shown here, so the fat can drip out. This meatloaf doesn't have a lot of fat, but using a rack also browns the meatloaf well on three sides.

I wasn't sure how long to bake this in my new convection oven. After 45 minutes at 375 F with the convection fan on, the outside was nicely browned, but my meat thermometer said the inside wasn't done. I turned the fan off and baked it 25 minutes more. Whichever type of oven you use, total baking time is going to be a little over an hour. Cutting one meat loaf open is the still the best way to see if the inside is done to your liking! (Remember this contains turkey and needs to be fairly well done.)

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