Sometimes, you just really need a good dose of comfort food. And sometimes your husband is just adamant about having a certain meal. Sometimes, these two collide and there’s only one meal that will do, meatloaf. A hearty, tasty, and oh so easy meal to make! The meal takes a whole ten minutes of preparation and then just an hour in the oven, leaving you with plenty of time to help with homework or even catch up on a show!
You start by whisking two eggs in a large bowl until well combined. Next, you’ll add your short list of dry ingredients. A packet of dry onion soup, lemon pepper which gives a nice zing to the meat, and some bread crumbs. I like to let it sit for a few minutes so the flavors all absorb into the bread crumb mixture. The last real ingredient is the water. Add it to your lumpy mixture whisk until it’s thoroughly combined.
The next part is my least favorite. Add the ground meat and dive in, hands first that is. Squish and squash the meat until your soupy onion water is throughout the meat. You’ll want to add more and more breadcrumbs until you reach a nice, non-sticky feeling.
Shape your meat into the shape of a loaf and place into a pan. I like to make an indent in the center to help with cooking. Meat plumps up when you cook it, and this will help it from shrinking too much from the sides of your loaf pan. On a side note, you can make mini-meatloaf muffins by baking them in a muffin tin instead!
Bake for 50 minutes on 350 degrees. Remove from oven and add a generous amount of ketchup, smoothing it along the top before baking it for an additional 10 minutes or broiling for two to three.
And that’s it! This is my family’s favorite simple meatloaf. But, you can omit the onion soup mix and add your favorite flavors. Try pineapple and cubed ham for a Hawaiian flavor. Fresh grated mozzarella, sundried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and pizza sauce on top add an Italian flair! The possibilities are endless.
 |
| Right click to Save or Print this recipe card |
