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Beef and Sausage Meatloaf is a grain-free meatloaf recipe that’s loaded with flavor, and this low-carb meatloaf is delicious! And it makes 12 servings of meatloaf so you can freeze some for later! 

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Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf finished meatloaf on serving plate

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 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 ingredients do you need?

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.

Is Beef and Sausage Meatloaf gluten-free?

Not using breadcrumbs to bind the meatloaf together also makes this a gluten-free meatloaf recipe.

More low-carb meatloaf to try:

If you like the idea of low-carb meatloaf or meatballs without breadcrumbs you might also like Horseradish Meatloaf with Sour Cream Horseradish Sauce or  Beef and Sausage Meatballs with Tomato Sauce

Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf process shots collage

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)!

Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf thumbnail image of finished meatloaf on serving plate

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

This Grain-Free Beef and Sausage Meatloaf 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:

Weekend Food Prep:

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

Beef and Sausage Meatloaf
Yield: 12 servings

Beef and Sausage Meatloaf

Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes

This Beef and Sausage Meatloaf has ground beef, Italian sausage, tomatoes, herbs, and Flax Seed and it's grain-free and loaded with healthy ingredients and it tastes good too!

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs. ground beef (see notes)
  • 1 19.5 oz. pkg. hot turkey Italian Sausage (see notes)
  • 1 14.5 oz. can petite dice tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 2 T dried chopped onion
  • 1 T garlic powder
  • 1 T dried basil
  • 1 T dried parsley
  • 1/2 cup flaxseed meal (see notes)
  • 1 tsp. Salt (more or less to taste)
  • 1 T ground fennel
  • 2 eggs slightly beaten

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 F.
  2. Spray roasting racks or loaf pan with non-stick spray.
  3. Squeeze turkey sausage out of casings in small pieces and put in mixing bowl with the ground beef so the meat can start to come to room temperature.
  4. Drain canned tomatoes into a colander placed in the sink. When they are well-drained, put them on cutting board and chop them a bit smaller.
  5. 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).
  1. Add chopped tomatoes, and eggs to meat mixture and use your clean hands to combine well.
  2. Try to mix the meat enough to get spices and eggs evenly distributed without over-mixing. Shape meat into two loaves.
  3. I prefer to bake meatloaf on a roasting rack so the fat can drip out. Using a rack also browns the meatloaf well on three sides, but use a regular baking sheet if that's what you have.
  4. Bake about one hour, or until the meatloaf is well done and shows 165F/75C on an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link) or if you don't have a meat thermometer cut one open and make sure the inside is completely done.
  5. Let meatloaf cool a few minutes, then cut into slices and serve.
  6. I'm not a big ketchup fan but I always eat this with G. Hughes Sugar-Free Ketchup (affiliate link)!

Notes

Use ground beef with the amount of fat that fits your personal dietary preferences. You can use pork or turkey Italian Sausage and hot or mild sausage, whichever you prefer.

Flaxseed Meal (affiliate link) is naturally gluten-free and very low in net carbs; check the package for information when you're buying it.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 409Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 8gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 171mgSodium: 487mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 2gSugar: 0gProtein: 41g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

© Kalyn Denny
Category: Oven Dinners

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
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 Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest or on Facebook 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 in 2020 and updated again with more information in 2022.

Pinterest image of Beef and Sausage Meatloaf

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