Brown Sugar Meatloaf

I hate meatloaf. I really do. I'm not sure what it is - maybe it's the texture, maybe it's the flavor. I just don't know - I've just never liked it. But that's because I'd never had this one until 8 or 9 years ago. It's yummy. Really yummy. It's sweet, not just savory. And I am a lover of all things sweet! And a bonus? The kids love it, too!

Ingredients:


Brown sugar, ketchup, ground beef, onion, milk, eggs, salt, pepper & saltines.

Start out by spraying a loaf pan with Pam. Then pack in 1/2 a cup of brown sugar and top it with 1/2 a cup of ketchup.


Set that aside & grab a bowl. Crush up all the crackers - whatever method works for you. I just throw them in a zipped baggie & mash them up with a rolling pin.


Dice up your onion, too. Then throw it all in a bowl together & mash away!


Time for some honesty.... I have meat issues. You may remember me talking about it in the Pulled Pork recipe I posted a few months back. I cannot touch it. And that's a bit of an issue when you're making a meatloaf! So my secrets? 1.) Bribe my neighbor with a plate of cookies & have her mash it for me! (Thank you, Shelley!) 2.) Invite my mom & dad over for dinner & have them get here an hour early so my mom can mash it for me. (Thank you, Mom!) 3.) when I have no other options I use a potato masher. Then I dump it onto a sheet of wax paper, roll it tightly and use the paper to plop it into the pan. Whatever you do, just mash it together well, shape it into a loaf and put it in the prepared pan, right on top of the ketchup.


Throw it in a 350 oven for an hour.


Let it sit for about 10 minutes to cool the sauce & set up a little bit. Then slice it/transfer to a plate & pour all the sticky, gooey sweetness over the top of it.


So..... after all this I plated it up for the kids & then Zac & I went on a date! LOL So I don't have a grown up plate picture to show you. But here's a quick glance at what it looks like on the inside!!

YUMMY! This is a great, kid-friendly dish that all the grown-ups love, too!

Brown Sugar Meatloaf:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of ketchup
1-1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup of milk (less if you're only using 1 pound of beef)
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
3/4 cup finely crushed saltine crackers
1 small onion, diced (anywhere between 1/2 the onion to the whole thing, depending on your taste)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 5x9 loaf pan with PAM. Pack the brown sugar into the loaf pan & spread ketchup on top.

In a mixing bowl, thoroughly mix all remaining ingredients. Shape it into a loaf & place on top of ketchup.

Bake for 1 hour, remove from the oven & let sit for about 10 minutes to set up. Slice it up, transfer to a serving plate & pour all the sauce out of the pan, over the top of the meatloaf.

ENJOY!