Meatloaf

A low FODMAP meatloaf of ground beef, gluten-free breadcrumbs, lactose-free milk, eggs, scallion greens, and thyme under a tomato paste and maple glaze.

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr

Serves 6

Gluten-freeLactose-free

Ingredients

Meatloaf

• 2 pounds (900 g) ground beef, or 1 pound (450 g) beef and 1 pound (450 g) ground pork
• 3/4 cup (about 75 g) gluten-free breadcrumbs (plain, rice-based, no onion powder, garlic powder, or chicory root)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) lactose-free milk
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil
• green tops of 6 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/2 cup, green tops only)
• 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or an Italian herb blend with no garlic or onion)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Glaze

• 1/4 cup (60 g) tomato paste (low-FODMAP up to about 1 tablespoon (20g) per serving)
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (or light brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• pinch of salt

Instructions

Soak the Breadcrumbs

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, or lightly oil a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, stir the gluten-free breadcrumbs into the lactose-free milk. Let them sit for 5 minutes, until the crumbs swell and absorb the milk into a soft paste. This panade keeps the loaf tender.

Mix and Shape

1. Warm the garlic-infused oil in a small pan over low heat, add the scallion greens, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes just to soften. Let cool slightly.
2. To the soaked breadcrumbs, add the eggs, tamari, thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and the scallion oil. Stir to combine.
3. Add the ground meat. Mix with your hands or a fork until just combined, stopping as soon as it holds together. Overworking makes the loaf dense.
4. Press the mixture into the loaf pan and level the top, or shape it into a 9x5 inch free-form loaf on the lined sheet. A free-form loaf browns on more sides.

Glaze and Bake

1. Whisk the tomato paste, water, maple syrup, vinegar, Dijon, and salt into a smooth glaze.
2. Brush half the glaze over the top of the loaf. Bake for 40 minutes.
3. Brush on the remaining glaze and bake for another 15 to 25 minutes, until the center reaches 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer.
4. Rest the loaf for 10 minutes before slicing so the juices settle.

Tips & Substitutions

• Swap breadcrumbs for oats. Use 1/2 cup certified gluten-free rolled oats in place of the breadcrumbs. Monash lists rolled oats as low-FODMAP at 1/2 cup (52 g) dry per serving, and split across six slices this stays well under.
• Check the breadcrumb label. Plain rice-based crumbs work best. Skip Italian-seasoned versions and anything listing onion powder, garlic powder, inulin, or chicory root.
• Grate in a carrot. One grated medium carrot adds sweetness and keeps the loaf moist. Carrot has no FODMAP limit at normal serves.
• Use tamari, not Worcestershire. Most Worcestershire sauces, including Lea & Perrins, contain garlic and onion. Gluten-free tamari gives the same savory depth without them.
• Buy a certified ketchup for a shortcut. A certified low-FODMAP ketchup (such as Fody) can replace the from-scratch glaze. Standard supermarket ketchup usually carries onion powder, garlic powder, and high-fructose corn syrup.
• Check the serves. Look up any ingredient in the FODMAP Foods app to see how its rating changes with portion size.

Why This Works

Garlic flavor without the fructans. Fructans from garlic bulbs are water-soluble but not oil-soluble, so garlic-infused oil carries the aroma while the FODMAPs stay behind in the solids you strain out.

Onion note from scallion greens. The fructans sit in the white bulb. The green tops are low-FODMAP in generous amounts and give the loaf the allium background it expects.

A milk-soaked panade keeps it tender. Breadcrumbs soaked in lactose-free milk trap moisture and fat as the loaf bakes, so it slices without crumbling. Lactose-free milk swaps in cleanly because lactose is the only high-FODMAP part of regular milk.

The glaze stands in for ketchup. Standard ketchup hides onion and garlic powder. A glaze of tomato paste, maple syrup, and vinegar gives the same sweet-tangy lacquer, and tomato paste is low-FODMAP at about 1 tablespoon (20g) per serving, while this glaze gives each slice about 2 teaspoons.

Storage

Refrigerate leftover meatloaf in a sealed container for up to 4 days. Reheat slices gently in the microwave at 50% power or in a low oven, covered, until warmed through. Wrap and freeze individual slices for up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.