Meatloaf… Again? Yum!

I have had the most peaceful afternoon and soon it will break into the sound of cleats and bat bags and tales of shoe shopping and chatter about practice.  While the hubby and kids were away, I totally succumbed to the silence.  I opened up the windows and let the cool NC breeze in and worked on my meatloaf recipe.

I’ve been plotting this in secret all day!  Shhh!  Don’t tell!  My kids like my meatloaf recipe, but it’s not their favorite, however hubby has always loved it.  So I decided to play with the recipe I made when I was about 15 years old.  I bet they never go, “Meatloaf…again?” anytime soon.

As my house fills up with the aroma of baking meatloaf and biscuits and the sound of potatoes boiling, I can hardly control my hunger.  I keep sneaking jelly beans to keep it at bay, but it’s really not working!

We finally get to eat my masterpiece and it was the best meatloaf I’ve ever made!  They loved it!  It was super simplistic and rustic at the same time.  So, for your enjoyment, here’s the recipe.

Ingredients:

6 slices of fresh white bread

1 cup of milk

2-3 large eggs or one turkey egg

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon thyme

2 pounds ground beef

Sauce:  1 heaping cup of ketchup, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard and 1/2 cup of brown sugar

Directions:

Slice into cubes 6 slices of bread and place into a large bowl.  Pour 1 cup of milk into the bowl and mix very gently to coat bread.  You can use immediately or let it soak in the fridge for awhile.  I put mine in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Next, beat eggs in a separate bowl and set aside.  If you have very large eggs like mine, use two.  If you have the eggs the supermarket sells, you will probably use three.  If you happen upon a turkey egg you’ll only need one.  Not kidding!  They make for great meatloaf!

Add the ground beef to the large bowl with the bread cubes.  Mix in the beaten eggs, salt, pepper, onion powder and thyme.  Mix thoroughly and pour onto a greased baking dish.  Shape into a loaf.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Now onto to the glaze!  For me it’s the best part.  Take all glaze ingredients, put in a bowl and mix well.  In 45 minutes, top the meatloaf with 1/3 of it and bake for 15 minutes.  Glaze meatloaf again and bake for 5 more minutes.  Then remove meatloaf from the oven.  You can use the rest of the glaze as a dipping sauce.

The best part!  Eatin’ time! This is a very basic recipe and can be a jumping off point for your creativity.  Add parmesan cheese, use a barbeque sauce instead of the glaze.  Try flavored bread crumbs, let your taste buds be your guide.

I served this meatloaf with mashed potatoes, green beans and biscuits.  A true southern delight!  Enjoy!