Love Is In The Meatloaf

I love meatballs and spaghetti. Especially with a real meaty sauce and cheese on top. I don't like sweet red sauces. The sauce has to have a lot of garlic and top the charts for savory. So, I took a little time to make meatloaf one night for dinner and took one pound of the seasoned meat and made meatballs that I then froze on a cookie sheet so that they wouldn't stick to each other in a freezer bag. So, the following recipe is for meatloaf to be made right away and the meatballs can be frozen for a dinner later in the week.

• 3 lbs ground beef (I use 80/20 blend)
• 1 dry onion soup mix
• 2 heaping Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 C. ketchup
• 1/4 C. sun dried tomatoes (Italian seasoned) chopped
• 1/2 C. real bacon crumbles (don't insult the meat w/imitation bacon!)
• 1 C. plain or seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 C. shredded Colby cheese
• 1/2 C. french fried onions (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°

With just the tips of your fingers, blend first eight ingredients well in a very large bowl. Do not squish the meat, as this can affect the texture of the meat adversely.

Set aside one pound of the mixture for now. Take remaining two pounds of the mixture, and pat into a loaf shape in a large baking dish. I highly recommend topping it with the french fried onions. It makes a wonderful crispy topping that put the dish over the top. Do not cover. I like to add red potatoes around the pan to cook with the meatloaf but it's not necessary.

Bake at 350° for approx. 1 hour. Depending on your oven, it may take as much as 1 1/2 hours. Follow guidelines for internal temperatures for beef (I believe it is 160°).

I also serve my meatloaf with mashed potatoes and gravy (with some of the meat drippings from the meatloaf!). Everyone loves it. If you are lucky enough to have left overs (rare in our house) it makes the most outstanding meatloaf sandwich to surprise the hubby in his lunch at work. Or, for yourself. Next post: Mother Lovin' Meatballs!