What's Cookin' -- Meatloaf

I don't have a lot of time right now to do a lot of posting, but I wanted to share our favorite meatloaf recipe. I froze half the recipe last time I made and it was our first home cooked meal in our new home. Boy did we miss eating homemade meals for a couple days.

Also checkout more recipes at The Grocery Cart Challenge. She has a great website with thrifty ideas for feeding a family of 6 for $60 a week.

All American Meatloaf
This recipe is from the America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook. In true Test Kitchen fashion it looks like a more complicated recipe than it really is. Very tasty!!

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 tsp cider vinegar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk, plus extra as needed
2 tsp mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp Tabasco
2 pound meatloaf mix (I either use all beef or 1 lb beef and 1 lb pork)
2/3 cup crushed saltine crackers
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley (I use a Tbsp of dried)

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees
2. Heat oil over medium heat and cook onion for about 5 min.
3. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant for about 15 seconds.
4. Cool for 5 minutes.
5. Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar and set aside. (I do this in a measuring cup)
6. In separate bowl mix eggs, milk, mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and Tabasco.
7. Then mix meatloaf mix, crackers, parsley, sauteed onion mixture and egg mixture until evenly blended. Mix until it doesn't stick to bowl. If it sticks add extra mix.
8. Turn meat mixture on a foil lined cookie sheet and shape into a loaf. (Don't use a loaf pan)
9. Brush half the ketchup mixture on loaf.
10. Bake for 45 minutes.
11. Brush with remaining ketchup mixture and back for another 15 minutes. Let cool 20 minutes before serving.