Instant Pot Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy (Low FODMAP, Paleo, Whole30)

Get your ultimate comfort food feed bag on with this Instant Pot Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes AND Gravy, all made in one pot with the Instant Pot! Boasting super moist and tender meatloaf served with savoury mashed potatoes and gravy, this Instant Pot version of an American classic dish is sure to please the entire family. Serve it with Homemade Ketchup to make it even more satisfying. Believe it or not, this delicious meatloaf recipe is also low FODMAP as well as Paleo and Whole30 compliant.

Meatloaf: An American Classic

Many Americans like myself grew up eating meatloaf for dinner. It was a comforting meal that was basically guaranteed to stick-to-your-ribs.

When you eat a restricted diet like low FODMAP, you sometimes want to eat something that makes you feel like you're not missing out on anything. This Instant Pot Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy recipe fits that bill for me. It's filling, flavourful and the ultimate American comfort food dish.

Why Instant Pot Meatloaf?

The Instant Pot creates a moist environment that's actually perfect to produce a nice, moist and tender meatloaf. Once I started making meatloaf in the Instant Pot, I've never made it any other way. It's just too good. Plus, you can make mashed potatoes AND gravy at the same time as your meatloaf, saving you from having to wash multiple pots. It's a win-win situation.

I categorize this recipe as a "One-Pot Meal" on the blog, but that's only because multiple meal components are being cooked at the same time. I typically eat this alongside some sort of vegetable or salad (cooked or made separately, obviously) to make it a full meal.

If you prefer to eat your meatloaf with ketchup, I wrote this Homemade Ketchup recipe for this purpose. It's also low FODMAP and Paleo but not Whole30 compliant.

Low FODMAP, Paleo & Whole30

As far as FODMAPs are concerned, this meatloaf recipe doesn't call for any ingredients that are super high in FODMAPs. It is high in fat (it is comfort food, after all), so if your gut is sensitive to that, you might want to consider recipes that are lower in fat. It is also compliant with the Paleo and Whole30 programs.

Necessary Equipment

The equipment I use to make this Instant Pot Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy includes:

• 6-quart Instant Pot, 8-quart Instant Pot, or comparable electric pressure cooker
• Extra large mixing bowl x 2
• Tin foil
• Measuring tape (optional)
• Trivet that comes with the Instant Pot
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Stirring spoon x 2
• Hot pads
• Fork
• Instant read thermometer
• Slotted spoon
• Potato masher
• Flipping spatula
• Small measuring cup or bowl
• Small whisk or fork
• Standard whisk
• Serving platter, bowl and gravy boat or measuring cup
• Knife

Instant Pot Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy: Ingredients & Success Tips

To start this Instant Pot Meatloaf with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy recipe, I mix the following ingredients together with my hands in an extra large bowl:

Ground Beef & Pork

I find the tastiest combination of meats for meatloaf to be 1:1 ratio of ground beef to ground pork. This is a magical combination that I also use in my Instant Pot Spaghetti and Meatballs and my Instant Pot Chili con Canada recipes.

Binding Agents: Egg and Tapioca Flour

To bind the meatloaf together so it doesn't fall apart, I use both tapioca flour (a.k.a. tapioca starch) and a large egg. Tapioca flour is a fairly inexpensive low FODMAP, Paleo compliant flour that's relatively easy to find.

Garlic-Infused Olive Oil, Coconut Aminos, and Tomato Paste

To add garlicy flavor to the meatloaf without using actual garlic, which is not low FODMAP, I put 2 tablespoon of garlic-infused olive oil right into the meat mixture.

For some umami flavour, I add either coconut aminos (a.k.a. soy sauce substitute or coconut sauce) or Worcestershire sauce, which is not Paleo or Whole30 compliant but is low FODMAP in up to 2 tablespoon per serving according to Monash University's Low FODMAP Diet App.

Finally, to add acidity and additional umami flavour, I add 2 tablespoon of tomato paste.

Herbs & Spices

To season this meatloaf, I use the following herbs and spices:

• Dried chives - one of my favourite low FODMAP ingredients, which adds both garlicy and oniony flavour to the meatloaf.
• Dried oregano
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

Form Instant Pot Meatloaf

Once I have thoroughly mixed together the meatloaf ingredients, I form the meatloaf into a loaf shape with my hands. The meatloaf I form is 8 inches long by 5.5 inches wide. It's important to stick to this size so that the meatloaf a) fits in the Instant Pot, and b) cooks evenly.

Wrap Instant Pot Meatloaf

In order to get a super moist and tender meatloaf, I wrap it in one layer of tin foil. To do this, I pull out about 2 feet of tinfoil into a clean surface. Then, I set the meatloaf perpendicular to the tin foil like so:

Then, I fold the tinfoil up the sides of the meatloaf and pinch the ends together so that it seals the tinfoil. If you end up with excess tinfoil, do not wrap it around the meatloaf again as the meatloaf will not cook evenly. Either cut the excess off or press the excess into the seal.

I set wrapped meatloaf aside while I prepare the remaining ingredients.

Broth & Salt

Then, I add 1 cup of beef broth and ½ teaspoon of salt to the Instant Pot and stir with a plastic spoon until the salt dissolves. I use Imagine low sodium beef broth, which is low FODMAP as well as Paleo and Whole30 compliant. If you use a regular beef broth (not low sodium), you may want to omit the extra salt until you are able to taste the gravy after it is cooked.

Potatoes

I personally love to use red potatoes to make mashed potatoes as I think they have the best flavour. Plus, I tend to leave the skins on as they are highly nutritious, and they also add colour to the mashed potatoes. You can use other types of white potatoes for this recipe - I've never tested it with anything other than red potatoes.

I typically leave the skins on (but feel free to skin the potatoes if that suits your fancy), scrub them and leave them whole, placing them in the pot so that the trivet will lay on top of them evenly, like so:

Once the potatoes are in the pot, I place the trivet on top, making sure the handles are facing up. Then, I lay my wrapped meatloaf on top of the trivet, like so:

I then close the lid, set the pressure release valve to "Sealing," (if required for the model), press "Pressure Cook," and set the timer to 28 minutes.

Once the cooking cycle has completed, I quick release the pressure. Wearing hot pads and using the trivet, I carefully remove the meatloaf from the pot to a platter. I use a fork to open the top of the tinfoil and then take the meatloaf's temperature using an instant read thermometer. The internal temperature of meatloaf must be at least 160°F to be safely consumed. I then leave the meatloaf to rest in the opened tin foil while I prepare the mashed potatoes and gravy.

Mashed Potatoes

Using a slotted spoon, I remove the potatoes to an extra large bowl. Then, I add the following ingredients to the bowl:

• Unsweetened almond milk
• Ghee
• Garlic-infused olive oil
• Salt
• Ground black pepper

I'm a bit of a salt fiend, so if you aren't a fan, adjust the salt and pepper quantities to your own personal taste. Once the ingredients have been added to the bowl with the potatoes, I mash the potatoes with a potato masher until they are to my desired consistency and mix them thoroughly. Then, I place a large plate over the potatoes to keep them warm while I prepare the gravy.

Gravy

To make the gravy, I first return to the resting meatloaf and, using a spatula (the flipping kind), carefully slide it off the tinfoil onto a platter, using care to keep the meatloaf's juices on the tin foil. Then, wearing hot pads and using the tinfoil as a pouring vessel, I pour the juices from the tinfoil into the Instant Pot and discard the tinfoil. If you'd like further clarity on how this is done, please feel free to contact me.

Then, I press the "Saute" button on the Instant Pot. While the Instant Pot heats up, in a small measuring cup or bowl, I whisk together 1 tablespoon tapioca flour with 1 tablespoon of cold water to make a slurry. Once the juices are boiling, I slowly pour in the slurry while gently whisking the juices and whisk until the gravy has thickened, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Once the gravy has thickened, I hit "Cancel" on the Instant Pot and remove the inner pot to a hot pad. Then, I pour the gravy into a gravy boat or measuring cup for serving.

Slice Meatloaf and Serve

Finally, I slice the meatloaf into ½" slices and serve with the mashed potatoes. I pour gravy on the meatloaf and mashed potatoes, garnish with freshly-chopped Italian parsley (optional), and eat the meatloaf with a side of Homemade Ketchup.

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