Easy, Sweet Meatloaf

The Story:

There isn't a big story around this meatloaf. There are thousands of recipes out there for meatloaf. My family likes the sweet and salty combinations of flavors, so this is the one I use. I started with a base recipe that I found on AllRecipes.com and modified it a bit to include the seasonings that we like best. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare and an 1-1.5 hours to cook.

I often hear people make fun of meatloaf. I am not sure why other than maybe they never had really good meatloaf.

The Ingredients:
2 lbs. lean ground beef

½ c. milk
2 eggs
¼ t. ground black pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. garlic powder
1 T. Lawry’s seasoning
¼ c. ketchup
¾ c. finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

For the bottom of the loaf pan:
½ cup packed brown sugar
½ cup ketchup

For the topping:
¼ c. Red Wine Vinegar
1 C. Ketchup
1 t. Garlic Powder
1 t. Black Pepper
½ c. Packed Brown Sugar
Mix all of the above ingredients in a small bowl, very well. Cover with a napkin (it may splatter)and heat in the microwave for 1 minute,

The Preparations:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Preparing the Pan:

Lightly coat the loaf pan in oil. I use a napkin or paper towel to coat the pan. This eliminates the excess oil. You only need enough to keep the meat from sticking. Using the 1/2c. packed brown sugar, press into the bottom of the loaf pan evenly covering the bottom. Top with 1/2 c. ketchup. Use the bottom of a spoon to distribute over the brown sugar. Set the pan aside.

Preparing the Meat:

In a large bowl, add the ground beef, eggs, milk, onion, black pepper, ground ginger, garlic powder, Lawry’s seasoning, ketchup and cracker crumbs. Using your hands, mix well and form into a loaf and place in the loaf pan.

Lightly sprinkle the top of the loaf with brown sugar. Using a spoon, dig a trench down the middle, lengthwise, approximately 1/4" deep. Drizzle a thin line of ketchup through the trench.

Place on the oven and bake 1-1.5 hours, until juices run clear.

The Serving Instructions:

Remove the meatloaf from the loaf pan by using two large utensil lifting at both ends simultaneously. Place on a plate and slice into even slices. I usually cut mine with ½" thickness. Drizzle with ketchup or the special ketchup sauce.

The Accompaniments:

I always serve meatloaf with traditional mashed potatoes and southern style pinto beans. You can find my pintos recipe in an earlier post.

This gets the husband pleasin' - thumb of approval and a score of a 9.5.