This is a fun recipe to turn every-day meatloaf into something that makes everyone feel like they’re having treats.
What makes this recipe especially neat is the “icing”. If you’re able to eat potatoes, you can blend some for the icing. If you’re like me though with a nightshades allergy (potatoes, peppers, tomatoes), you’ve probably also been on a quest for a potato substitute for years.
Ever hear of celeric root before? I hadn’t either until I read about using them as a potato substitute. I’d tried the mashed cauliflower substitute, and didn’t like it very much (I’m not a cauliflower fan). However, the celeric was a winner for myself and Karl both. He kept exclaiming the whole dinner about how good it was.
Here’s what celeric root looks like:
Knarly, right? However, underneath all that dirty, root filled skin is a white potato-like veggie. Here’s a video to demonstrate how to “peel” the skin off of celeric:
Giving credit where credit is due, I read about the celeric root substitute, as well as the idea for the meatloaf cupcakes from a paleo cookbook I was recently given called Against All Grain. The cook/writer, Danielle, has a blog that gives many of her recipes for free here. Check it out, as she has lots of great recipes!
Meatloaf:
You can get my brown sugar meatloaf recipe here. The only difference you’ll have is that since we’re using a cupcake pan versus loaf, it takes approx 30 mins to bake, or until the juices run clear.
Mashed Celeric Root:
- If you’re doing 2 lbs of ground beef, then I’d recommend 3-4 celeric roots.
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 minced garlic cloves
- 12 oz water
- 3 tbsp buttery extra-virgin olive oil (or butter if you’re able to)
- cheese (optional)
– Cut the celeric roots down to their whites, then slice them into wedges and cook them in boiling water for approx 12 minutes, or until they soften.
– Drain the pot and put the roots into a food mixer or use a bowl and blender/beater. Add salt, pepper, garlic, water, olive oil, and if you’d like/are able to, cheese. (basically treat it like mashed potatoes).
– Blend until you get a smooth consistency akin to a thick yogurt. (if necessary, add more water as you blend to achieve this)
– Dollop the creamy mash onto each ‘meat cupcake’ while still hot. Top with chopped chives for “sprinkes”.
– Enjoy!
