Bells on Their Toes: Peggy's Meatloaf

Hi Bloggers!

Today I am sharing one of the easiest recipes of all time... Meatloaf. I love this dish because it takes very little prep time. Also, it requires just enough bake time to pop in the oven and forget about it, so you can serve drinks and entertain as your friends arrive. It just happens to be my husband's all-time favorite meal. The best part is that most of the ingredients should already be on hand. Once your pantry is stocked, you only need to buy the beef.

I tried several recipes before falling in love with the perfect meatloaf -- this recipe was given to me by my sweet friend and coworker, Peggy. Don't you just love her name?!

Ingredients:

- 1 pound of ground beef per 2-3 people (I prefer ground sirloin because it is the leanest of the ground beefs)
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 egg
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesian
- spash of milk
- 1/4 cup grated onion (optional)
- 1 tsp red pepper chili flakes (optional -- although it adds a tasty little "kick")

Sauce:
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup spicy or dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire
- 1 tablespoon of honey (or brown sugar)

Step 1 -- Plop the meat in a bowl. Mine is already slightly brown on the edges from defrosting in the microwave. Make sure your meat is completely thawed so you can mix it by hand!

Step 2 -- Add spices to the ground meat and mix together by hand. That's right, take off those rings and get your hands dirty! Mix, mix, mix... Add egg, breadcrumbs, and onion. Mix by hand some more.

Step 4 -- After adding breadcrumb, your meat lump may become a little dry. Add a splash of milk to moisten your loaf and to sop up the rest of those breadcrumbs. Add the parmesian cheese.

Step 5 -- Refrigerate in bowl for up to eight hours or cook immediately. Roll meat into a "loaf" shape and bake at 375*F for 1 hour. More meat and / or a thicker loaf may require more time in the oven. You will need to cook your meatloaf in a pan because a small amount of grease will drip off during cooking. You can use a loaf pan or a baker, which will collect the liquid and will require draining after cooking. I prefer to use a broiler pan, and I cover the base with foil to catch the drippings. It makes for easy clean up.

Step 6 - Time to mix the sauce. Whisk together ketchup, mustard, worcestershire and honey. Spread the sauce across the top of the meatloaf after it has been cooking for 40 minutes.