Do you ever have those days when a little bit of comfort food goes a very long ways? I sure do! And when those days hit, meatloaf is my go-to!
As a kid, meat loaf, mashed potatoes, and peas were my favorite food. Okay, lets me honest, they still are (followed closely by a good cheeseburger). And now, even though I’m all grown up, Mamma still indulges my inner “meatloaf addiction” and makes it whenever I come for a visit. 🥰
The first time that I ever met Husband, meatloaf was on the menu, courtesy of my future sister and mother-in-law (for those who don’t know the story, here’s the Cliff Notes version: Husband’s sister coached soccer with my dad in small-town Nebraska. I met Husband’s sister when I came home from Ethiopia, and we became friends. She introduced me to her brother, and the first time I got to meet him in person was at her house for dinner. And, she served meatloaf 😊. Husband and I were married 3 years later. ❤)
Mamma’s meatloaf is my favorite. Husband is partial to his mom’s recipe. So, I decided to take the best of both and make a “mashup” of the two. We love it! I hope you will too, Friends! Happy comfort eating!
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Favorite Meatloaf
*Serves 4-6*
Ingredients:
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 1 lb Ground Beef
- ½ cup Milk
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup Bread Crumbs
- 1 tsp Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ¼ tsp Ginger
- 1 tsp Mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ½ cup Onion, finely chopped
- Fresh Parsley, for garnish—Optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mix the brown sugar and ketchup in the bottom of a loaf pan (like this glass Pyrex one).
In a separate bowl, place the remaining ingredients. Dig in with your bare hands and mash it all together until it’s really well mixed.
Scoop the meat over the top of the ketchup/brown sugar mixture in the pan. Don’t press too hard or the mixture will squidge up the sides.
Put the loaf pan in the preheated oven, and bake it for 1 hour.
Carefully remove the hot meatloaf from the oven, and let it sit for 5-10 minutes to cool slightly.
I like to use a knife to run around the edges of the meatloaf to make sure that it’s not stuck to the pan at all.
Turn it upside-down onto a large plate or platter. The ketchup/brown sugar will have caramelized into an almost bbq-style sauce that will coat the meatloaf. (You can also carefully drain some of the liquid off into a small pitcher before flipping it onto a plate, if you’d like.)
Garnish with fresh parsley (totally optional), and serve warm with mashed potatoes and your choice of vegetables (peas, in my case 😉).
