Don't let your meat loaf!

The title of today's post is something my mom would always say when someone would tell her they were having meatloaf for dinner. It's a totally lame joke, but that never stopped her from saying it, and unfortunately it pops into my head every time I have meatloaf, too. Oh well, it's harmless. :)

Growing up I used to hate meatloaf, but I can't quite put my finger on why. It just never interested me, and it seemed rather bland. This recipe is anything but bland - it's sweet (from the brown sugar topping) and it goes perfectly with roasted potatoes and broccoli.

Brown Sugar Meatloaf

Directions:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup ketchup

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 cup finely crushed saltine cracker crumbs

Ingredients:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.

• Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.

• In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf. Place on top of the ketchup.

• Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Notes: I have changed the amount of milk in this recipe, and I substitute bread crumbs for the saltine crackers. Also, I put the brown sugar and ketchup on the top of the meatloaf as I like how it soaks down into the meat (which it can't do if it's on the bottom of the pan). I also omit the salt.