Classic Meatloaf

For the next couple of days, I am going to blog about some recipes that I have made in the last couple of weeks. I haven't been very good about blogging my recipes when I cook them, so this will give me the excuse to do it!

Last week, a local store, The Carriage Trade, had their annual open house. I usually go since shoppers get 20% off one item, but when I heard Gena Knox was going to be there signing her new cookbook Southern My Way, I knew I had to make the effort to get there! The cookbook is wonderful! There are so many great recipes that I can't wait to try, and there are also so many beautiful pictures of her food and local farms, dairies, etc. I recommend everyone go out and buy one of these cookbooks. Also, Gena was so sweet and so cute-definitely worth the trip!

Once I got the cookbook home, I wanted to try something immediately! Since my husband Davis is a very picky eater, anything meat would be eaten, so I chose the Classic Meatloaf.

Classic Meatloaf from Gena Knox's Southern My Way


Meatloaf
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or sirloin
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (our grocery store didn't have fresh parsley, so I just used dried)
- 1 clove garlic (again, I just used the dried minced garlic)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 dried oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (Davis likes things extra salty, so next time, I would probably add a little more salt because you couldn't taste much)
- 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs from about 2 slices sandwich bread (I toasted mine for about 10 minutes on 300 degrees then put the toast in a food processor)

Sauce
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using hands, combine meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl until well mixed. Season with freshly ground pepper. Using hands, shape meat into a 5x9-inch-oval loaf and place in a 9x13-inch baking dish. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and brush over meatloaf, reserving some for basting. Bake about 50-60 minutes until internal temperature registers 155 degrees F. Baste with sauce once or twice throughout cooking. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with extra sauce, if desired.

This meatloaf was a hit in my house! We ate it two nights in a row!