Easy Meatloaf
Meatloaf – you either love it or you hate it. I love it, but I only like to make it every so often because I don’t want my fam to get tired of it. What I love about this meatloaf recipe is that it uses ingredients you probably have on hand and can throw together quickly.
I couldn’t help myself from putting mine in my heart-shaped pan, but I’d recommend using a baking sheet in place of a loaf pan. I took mine out halfway through the cooking time and placed it on a cookie sheet. There’s a lot of juice that comes with meatloaf, and it needs somewhere to go. I'd recommend forming a heart (or other shape of choice) directly on the cookie sheet. This method also gives you yummy, crispy edges.
In my opinion, the secret to great meatloaf is the glaze. I love asking other people what they add to their meatloaf glaze.
Let’s get started!
Ingredients:
2 lbs. lean ground beef
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Half a sleeve of crushed Ritz crackers, or 3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons parsley (fresh is preferred, but dried is fine)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of ketchup
1 tablespoon of dried minced onion or 1/4 chopped fresh onion (If you are using raw onion, sauté before you add to meat).
Meatloaf Glaze
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon balsamic glaze
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 1: Combine eggs, milk and crackers/breadcrumbs. Allow mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes.
Step 2: Add ground beef, onion and seasonings to bread crumb mixture. Mix until just combined. Overmixing will create a dry, dense loaf.
Step 3: Form your loaf on a baking sheet. Feel free to create a heart, or just a regular loaf shape.
Step 4: Add glaze to the top, reserving 1/3 of the glaze.
Step 5: Bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, add a little more glaze and turn the oven up to 400 for 10 minutes.
Step 6: Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Add any glaze you have left AND ENJOY. I always serve a salad with meatloaf because I feel like I need something green on my plate.
Step 7: Save leftovers for a meatloaf sandwich the day after. You won’t regret it.
I hope you enjoy your meatloaf, whatever shape you decide to make!
Happy February friends! WE MADE IT. Lol, why is January the longest month ever?
Always and Whatever
XO