Meatloaf

In these stressful times, we could all use a little comfort. Meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food.  This is a basic recipe.  You can add other spices or other veggies (mushrooms or tomatoes). You can substitute ground pork or turkey for ½ pound of the meat. BBQ sauce instead of the topping I've suggested here would be yummy.

Make meatloaf, mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans. Sit down with your family and enjoy a meal.

Servings: 4-6

Hardware:  Measuring spoons and cups, cutting board and knives, a wooden spoon, a mixing bowl, a small skillet, a baking sheet, aluminum foil, thermometer, a small bowl, a whisk

Time:  Prep:  10 minutes    Cooking: 1 ½ hours-1 hour 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ pounds ground chuck (20% fat)
• 1 small onion (1 cup)
• ½ small bell pepper (½ cup)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• ½ cup quick oats
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup beef broth
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Olive oil for the bottom of the pan

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Topping

• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
• Hot sauce to taste

Meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325˚. Chop the onion. Chop and seed the pepper. Dice the garlic. Remove the thyme from the stems. Line the baking sheet with foil. Set aside.
2. Heat enough oil to cover the skillet on medium heat. Place the onions, pepper, garlic, and thyme into the pan. Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Don’t allow anything to brown. Scrape everything into the mixing bowl.
3. Add everything to the mixing bowl but the meat and the oats. Whisk thoroughly. Mix in the oats and the meat.  Don’t mash the meat or the loaf will be tough.  Shape the meat into a loaf on the baking sheet.
4. Whisk the topping ingredients together and pour over the meatloaf.
5. Bake the meatloaf until the internal temperature is 165˚. This should take around an hour.  Allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.