Having to adjust my cooking to feed two people is not easy when I'm normally feeding a small crowd! When my kids came back home after a week long trip, this Meatloaf Monday on a Sunday just seemed right! Even though my kids are all in their 20's, things just feel "normal" having them around. Yeah, I'm starting to think "Mom Mode" is one of those long term kinda deals…even when they're not living under the same roof! I must've been deceiving myself all those years ago when I was like "Oh, once they hit 18…yada, yada, yada". Mmmm yeah, that cord never severed and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Originally, I had planned on making this dinner for the hubster and I while they were having adventure and exploring the city of New York, but while I was grocery shopping, I got sentimental and spoke with my butter better half. We both agreed to make it Sunday instead. This way, it'd also be a hearty dinner for the kids since they'd more than likely be down for a home cooked meal once they got home! We were right :) Now, as I've mentioned at the onset, I usually cook for a small crowd…it's kinda my thing. This Meatloaf was no different. It was actually enough to feed a small army, which works great since we love leftovers! If you do too, then this one might be right up your alley! Some like gravy on Meatloaf but I'd venture to say, there's actually no need for any in this dish. The meat is so full of flavor and I figured adding the gravy might actually mask it. Plus, I have a tendency to associate gravy with dull or flavorless meals about 70% of the time. So, no gravy today!
Making Meatloaf
Before you have a meltdown about how much meat I used to make this, keep in mind, I'm cooking for four adults (technically ;) and we all want leftovers. I used approximately three pounds of ground beef (80/20) and it was a nice, sizable about to get what I needed. Growing up, I have always had (and used) recipes that incorporated a lot of ketchup, which in my opinion, turns out a little…boring and too tomato-y. This meatloaf I'm sharing with you today has a bit of ketchup but not too much. I wanted it to have more of a robust taste and that's exactly what this recipe produced.
The sauce that I poured on top of the Meatloaf added an extra touch of deliciousness. Just look at that sauce that has been slightly caramelized! It had a mild tangy flavor that baked on nicely, then crispafied (yeah, that's not a real word but go with it ;) it a little after broiling for a few minutes at the end. UH-MAZING and so drool worthy!!! After drooling over the sauce that's broiled on, you get to the real treasure hidden underneath it. Little bits of onion and mushrooms scattered throughout each slice and let's not forget the pieces of bread that have been mixed in. These all lend so much flavor to this dish, making it the Best Meatloaf Ever!!
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 3 lbs Ground Beef
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
- 3 Bread Slices, torn up
- 3 tbsp Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce
- 2 pouches Onion Mushroom Soup Mix ((I used Lipton))
- 1/2 tsp Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, ground
- 1 tsp Salt
Sauce/Glaze
- 3 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 1/2 tsp A-1 Steak Sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp Kentucky Bourbon BBQ Sauce
Instructions
Sauce/Glaze
- In a small cup, combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
Meatloaf
- Preheat oven to 400 (F) degrees. Line baking pan with foil and spray with non stick. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, break ground beef up. Add remaining ingredients and using your hand, combine well. Smooth out and shape into a loaf. Place on prepared baking pan.
- Pour prepared sauce mix over uncooked meatloaf and brush to coat entire top and sides of it.
- Drape a sheet of aluminum foil over the meatloaf but lifting the center of the foil so that it does not lay directly on the meatloaf.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil cover and continue baking another 15 minutes. Change oven to broil and allow it to toast/crisp/brown the saucy top for just a couple of minutes, keeping an eye on it so that it does not burn. *
- Remove from oven, cover with foil tent again and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Slice up, serve and enjoy with your favorite side dishes!
Broiling: Ovens vary so when it comes time to broil, make sure to keep a close eye on it. It only took about 3 minutes to broil on my oven but yours might take less or even more time. _
When making this dish, I find having sides consisting of veggies works best. In this instance, I made my Garlic & Onion Green Beans (not pictured) and my hubby made his famous Homemade Mashed Potatoes, without gravy! Those recipes will be added to the blog soon so that you can enjoy them with your family as well.
Cori - xoxo