Glazed Meatloaf

Sorry for the lack of posts recently, life has been just a little nuts! Sick kids, sick mommy, trip across the state for Easter, car falling apart after said trip, and replace car with a newer one! Whew!

Anyway, here's a meatloaf recipe that I love. I found it in a Cook's Country magazine, and I'm so glad I tried it! It is delicious! The ingredient list is a little long, but they're all items I normally have on-hand. Also, the steps seem a little goofy, but trust me it all works out. :)



Glazed Meatloaf
Printable version here

8 Saltine crackers
1/6 cup milk (use half of a 1/3 cup measuring cup)

1 tsp. vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced

1 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1 tsp. mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

1/2 cup ketchup (and/or tomato sauce)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar (or a little less for a less strong taste)
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce

1. Make binder: Crush Saltine crackers in a ziploc bag. Pour into a large bowl; add milk & stir.

2. Cook vegetables: Heat oil in small nonstick pan over medium heat until shimmering. Cook onion until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic & cook 30 more seconds. Transfer this mixture to the large bowl.

3. Meat mixture: Add beef to the bowl, and mix until well combined. Then add remaining ingredients (from the egg to the pepper) & mix until just combined. Shape meat into a loaf shape on a baking sheet (that has been covered with foil & sprayed with nonstick spray).

4. Broil: Adjust oven racks so one is about 4" from broiler and the other is in the middle. Preheat broiler on high. While preheating, make glaze.

5. Glaze: Whisk the remaining ingredients (ketchup through Tabasco) in small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

6. Bake: Broil the plain loaf until well browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, brush 2 tbsp. of the glaze over top & sides and broil about 2 more minutes, until glaze begins to brown. Then brush 2 more tbsp. glaze over the loaf, insert probe thermometer (if using), and bake on middle rack at 350º until loaf registers 160º, about 28-30 minutes.

Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 10-15 minutes. While resting, simmer remaining glaze over medium-low heat until slightly thickened. Slice meatloaf & serve with cooked glaze.

The formed loaf, just before broiling


Broiling away!


After broiling & brushing with glaze, ready for the final baking


That funny-looking thermometer above, if you haven't seen one before, is called a probe thermometer. Since I "discovered" these a few years ago, it has made several cooking tasks much easier!! They are SO nice for cooking meat- like meatloaf, whole turkey, chicken, etc. You set the timer to beep at a certain temperature, then you always know that your meat is perfectly cooked! This is the one I have:

Thermoworks Probe Thermometer/Timer, it's $25 with shipping at Amazon.