Although I haven’t shown much of it here, I love to bake.

To me, nothing beats whipping up a batch of chocolate-chip cookies or a basic bundt cake and having the entire house be filled with aromas that just envelop you with warmth and comfort. I love how baked goods bring people together and how they can almost always bring a smile to someone’s face (especially my husband’s face…the man loves his cookies).

In fact, I love to bake a bit too much. When I (I mean we…whoops) got a kitchen-aid mixer for our wedding I about died. It was the ONE item I wanted more than anything…specifically so I could bake even more.

{Confession: I gained five pounds the month after we got married because I was baking (and eating what I baked) constantly. It was a magical, butter-filled time of my life.}

When fall comes around, I swear my baking instinct goes into overdrive. Pumpkin this! Maple that! I want to make it all.

One problemo: While I love to bake and I looooooove the flavors of the season (Pumpkin! Cinnamon! Ginger! Allspice! CARDAMOM!!!!!), pumpkin-spiced things tend to lend themselves to overly-sugared items that a pre-diabetic shouldn’t really be eating that much of. Pumpkin spice lattes, oreos, donuts, waffles, yogurts, you name it–I’d be willing to put money on it that it isn’t low in sugar.

And while I will most definitely bake a few loaves of pumpkin bread and some pumpkin chocolate-chip cookies before the snow flies, this week I was on the hunt for something pumpkin-spiced that wasn’t a dessert that Tom and I could enjoy as a meal.

Enter: The Sorensen Meatloaf

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Meatloaf? Really? A loaf of meat? No thank you” But here’s the deal–meatloaf is the most forgiving, versatile, perfect-for-fall dish you can imagine. Growing up, my mom took her mom’s recipe and tweaked it to make it diabetic-friendly so my dad could eat it. She swapped in oatmeal, used a lower-fat ground beef, and added a lot of cayenne and chili flakes–making it a delicious (and spicy) meal that we had at least once a week.

And this week, I decided that it was time for the third generation to give it a twist–a twist that would turn this simple dish into something even more nutrient-dense that would be bursting with fall-flavor.

And Thomas? He was more than on-board. He’s been begging for us to use more ground beef, and I’ve been struggling to find a way to incorporate it. I’m a die-hard believer that “turkey is better” in just about everything that calls for ground meat.

So…where’s the compromise?

Here’s our answer:

• Use uber-lean ground beef…but ensure we add in delicious cheddar cheese to balance out the fat in the dish
• Maintain my mom’s trick of swapping oats for breadcrumbs to keep the carbohydrates down
• Increase the nutrient-density of the dish by adding the harvest trifecta of apples, carrots, and onions
• Utilize all of the spices fall has to offer–including cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and cardamom
• Top with a maple glaze to seal in the moisture of the loaf and add a savory-sweet tang into every bite

| Harvest Meatloaf with Maple Glaze |

Serves: 4 Tom’s or 5 Alaina’s

Ingredients Needed:

For the Loaf:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup skim milk
• 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
  • Yes, pure–you want maple syrup…not corn syrup! It’s better option for blood sugar-issue friends as well
• 2/3 cup yellow onion, finely diced
• 2/3 cup carrots, finely shredded
  • I use my food processor for this, but you can also buy shredded carrots and just chop them up a bit!
• 1 medium to large apple, finely diced
  • As always, I recommend a crisp apple like SweeTango or Honeycrisp
• 1 lb lean ground beef
  • I used 93%, but you can of course use any type of ground beef 
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • I buy the pre-shredded cheddar cheese in the bag–it’s easier than shredding it myself…but you totally can!
• 1/2 cup quick cook oats
• 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne
• 1/4 tsp. cardamom
  • If you don’t have cardamom on hand, you can sub in more cinnamon instead–but cardamom is delicious!
• 1/4 tsp. salt
  • This is on the more conservative end–don’t be afraid to add more salt when serving!

For the Glaze:

• 5 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 5 tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 2-3 dashes of cinnamon

Directions:

First, prepare your pan and oven…

• Using non-stick foil, line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil
• Preheat your over to 350 degrees F

Next, mix together your loaf…

• In a large bowl, whisk together your egg, milk, and maple syrup
• Add in your apple, carrots, and onion and stir to coat

• Crumble in your ground beef in small pieces
  • This makes it easier to combine…trust me!

• Dump in your cheese, oats, spices, and salt
• Using your hands, combine well
  • You really want your spices to be mixed throughout–this step is key!

That was easy! Now you just have to make your glaze…

• In a small saucepan, add your vinegar, syrup, and cinnamon

• Bring to a boil, whisking constantly
• Once boiling, reduce the heat and continue to whisk until all maple syrup has dissolved and your glaze is slightly thickened (about 1-2 minutes)
  • Note: It will not get very thick–you really just want it to be a nice, dark caramel color with all of your ingredients dissolved
• Once complete, remove from heat and pour into a small bowl

You’re basically done–now you just need to get this loaf in the oven…

• Take your mixture from the bowl and dump onto your foil-lined cookie sheet
• Form meat into a flat oval–trying to ensure that it is the same thickness throughout the loaf
  • This may seem odd–but avoiding putting this in a loaf pan means that any grease that presents itself can drip away from the loaf…not get soaked into it! (note: this tip brought to you by mama ramsburg)

• Using a basting brush, liberally brush the loaf with the maple glaze

• Place loaf in the oven and cook for 1 hr and 20 minutes–ensuring you brush the loaf with the glaze every twenty minutes
• Once the hour and twenty minutes have passed, brush the glaze on the loaf one final time and bake for a final five minutes
  • For those counting at home, this means you will brush the loaf a total of four times: 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 60 minutes, & 80 minutes
  • Also for those at home, this means the loaf will bake for a total of 1 hour and 25 minutes 

Now get that loaf on a plate!

• Immediately after removing from the oven, use a spatula to remove the loaf from the pan and place on a plate
  • By doing so, you are removing the loaf from any grease/leftover glaze that has leaked away from the loaf during baking. Huzzah!

• Now serve!
  • I recommend serving with the chicken salad (minus the chicken!) from my post from a few weeks back…it complements this dish beautifully!

When you remove this harvest loaf from the oven, it’s an amazing moment. The savory-sweet smell that will fill your kitchen is a crazy combination reminiscent of both apple cider and a delicious roast. It’s truly the epitome of fall flavors coming to life.

When you serve this dish, be prepared for a robust first bite. The sweetness of the apples, onions, and carrots is what hits you first–followed by the savory sensations of the deliciously-spiced beef. And just as this meatloaf makes you completely rethink your earlier doubts regarding if meatloaf can be good, it hits you–the tangy/sweet sensation of that maple glaze.

This harvest loaf is a crazy mix–but it’s absolutely delectable. Tom went back for seconds…and thirds...and I don’t think he even realized the pure amount of vegetables and fruit he was getting with every serving. On the flip side, I was beyond surprised how much I could enjoy eating ground beef–it really makes the dish, and I don’t think that ground turkey would have had the depth of flavor needed to make this dish what it is.

In all, I took a gamble this week by trying to make yet another food item pumpkin-spiced…but I think it paid off. Unlike the pumpkin-spice items being advertised in every aisle, commercial, and newspaper this time of year–this is one that is low in sugar and something you can feel good about eating.

And the best part? My husband was thrilled. He’s been craving ground beef and we found a way to marry our tastes in creative way that left us both satisfied.

{…but that being said…I really could go for a pumpkin chocolate-chip cookie….and that mixer hasn’t been used in over a week…and what’s  delicious dinner without a delectable dessert?…hmmm…}

Here’s to making many more culinary compromises (and maybe some cookies)–all in the name of love.

xoxo,

alaina