Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

Is there anyone out there who hasn't had meatloaf? If there is, I'd love to meet him. It seems like everyone's mom, aunt, grandma, or sister has a recipe for meatloaf.

But not all meatloafs (meatloaves?) are created equal. And everyone has their personal preferences toward this classic family dish.

My meatloaf is all beef. Sometimes I'll switch it up and use half pork or half poultry, but that's usually only if I've got half pounds of each leftover for something else.

The meatloaf also has eggs, garlic, breadcrumbs, onions, and worcestershire sauce.

The onions and garlic get a nice dice and get thrown on top of the beef.

Then the eggs and breadcrumbs join them.

Finally, I shake in the worcestershire and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (which did not make the lineup picture.)

Mix everything together with your hands (a great job for a kid!) and press into a loaf pan.

Today I used a large loaf pan. Sometimes I use mini pans so everyone gets their own meatloaf. They cook more quickly that way, too.

I top my meatloaf with an equal mix of brown sugar and ketchup.

My sister hates meatloaf topped with ketchup. I like it. It adds a nice sweet-and-tangy element. And it just makes me think of a homestyle meatloaf.

Use a spoon and spread the ketchup and brown sugar mixture over the meatloaf.

Bake for an hour, or until cooked completely through.

Sometimes I like to make the drippings into gravy. Yum.

Now, how easy was that? After seeing how quick and simple homemade meatloaf can be, there's no excuse not to try this out on a weekday. Make this meatloaf your Monday night staple!

Recipe: Old-Fashioned Meatloaf

1 lb. ground beef (any ground meat will do, however)

1/3 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1/2 c. breadcrumbs

1 egg

1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. dried italian seasoning

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. ketchup

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine ground meat, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, worcestershire, italian seasoning, and salt and pepper. Press into a loaf pan or form into a loaf shape on a cookie sheet.

Combine brown sugar and ketchup. Spread mixture over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake for 1 hour (30-35 minutes if using mini loaf pans.)