Meatloaf

Stop gagging. Really, this is a good recipe. It's actually requested after people give it a try. How's that for meatloaf, my friends??

I used to make my mother's recipe. Then I used a friend's recipe for awhile. I never made meatloaf much back in the day, it was fine but never was quite exciting enough. Once I gave this one a try, though, there was no turning back. I actually will crave this dish.

I love all the flavors in it, and the saute you give the onions and garlic really bring a great flavor to this meatloaf. The glaze, too, is quite stellar. I like to make mine with turkey or venison (we try to be healthy in this little house), but I'm sure plain old ground beef works just fine as well! And I love making mine into little mini loaves - one loaf per person, and they are really easy to freeze this way too.

Time to get over that fear, folks! If you are meatloaf-phobic, this version's gonna convert you. Promise :)

Meatloaf

(adapted from Sara Moulton Cooks At Home, 2002)

Ingredients:

1/2 c. ketchup

1/4 c. packed light brown sugar

2 Tbsp. cider vinegar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 c. milk

2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. hot sauce

2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. dried thyme

3/4 tsp. dried marjoram

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 c. bread crumbs

1/4 c. chopped parsley

2 lbs. ground meat (beef, turkey, venison; all work really well)

To make the glaze: combine ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar. Set aside.

For the meat loaves, preheat the oven to 350 F. Oil a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring until the vegetables have softened and are starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Set aside to cool a bit.

In a large bowl: add the milk, egg, mustard, hot sauce, salt, thyme, marjoram, and pepper and whisk together to combine. Add the ground meat, bread crumbs, and parsley and combine well.

Scoop mixture onto baking sheet using 1/2 cup measure. Shape into ovals. Brush with glaze, and bake 25-30 minutes. Brush once again with glaze (I tend to just pour it over at this point, until I've used it up) and bake another 10 minutes. The internal temperature should be 165 F when tested with an instant-read thermometer.

Serve at once, while warm. Best with mashed potatoes and peas, mmm.