Recipe: Meatloaf

Soon after marrying Kevin he told me that his favorite dinner was meatloaf. Since that time I have been searching for the "perfect" meat loaf recipe and until this one...they were always not quite right. This recipe is

so incredible that I had to share it. I found it in a Taste of Home magazine. Kevin has named it "the best meatloaf he has ever had"

INGREDIANTS

2 eggs, slightly beaten

11 oz can V8 juice

1/2 an onion, finely chopped

1 celery rib, finely chopped

1 c. seasoned bread crumbs

(I used plain and it was fine)

1/2 envelope beefy onion soup mix

1/2 t. pepper

2 pounds lean ground beef or turkey (this recipe is best with ground beef)

For Glaze:

3/4 cup ketchup

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup yellow mustard

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, V8 juice, onions, celery, bread crumbs, soup mix and pepper. Crumble the meat over the mixture and mix well. (I use my bare hands to incorporate well)

Pack the meatloaf mixture into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray. Turn the loaf pan upside down into a 9 x 13 casserole dish.

Slowly lift off the loaf pan and you will have a perfectly shaped meatloaf. I like doing it this way so any fat drippings will drip out into the pan instead of baking into the loaf pan and making for a greasy meatloaf.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the glaze ingrediants. When the 45 minutes is up, take the meatloaf out of the oven and spread the glaze over the entire loaf. Return the glazed loaf back to the oven and cook an additional 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160 degrees.

When meatloaf is done, I lift the entire loaf out of the pan which will have fat drippings in it and put it onto a serving platter. Then I slice it. Serve with your favorite side dishes. We like ours with Italian green beans with bacon & onions (stay tuned for this recipe in a later post) and home made mac and cheese or mashed potatoes. This is comfort food at its best folks. Enjoy!