Shellie’s Improved Meat Loaf

Welcome back to the All Things Southern kitchen! I plum showed out in the kitchen the other evening and y’all are about to benefit from it. I’ve taken boring meatloaf over the top! I’m talking new and improved. Let me walk you through it and see if your gang doesn’t agree.

“Shellie’s New and Improved Meat Loaf”

1.5 pounds ground hamburger meat

2 cups crushed saltine crackers

1 white onion, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1 egg

1 cup milk

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning

Black pepper

 

Sauce:

1 cup Ketchup

1 capful Balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons Brown sugar

½ teaspoon dry mustard

We’re going to mix a pound and half of ground hamburger meat with two cups crushed saltine crackers, a cup of milk, and one egg. We’ll add a diced white onion that we’ve sautéed in a couple tablespoons of butter. (No more raw onions going into my meatloaf. These caramelized babies add a lot more flavor.)

To our meat mixture we’ll add our seasonings—that’s one tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes, two teaspoons minced garlic, one teaspoon Tony Chachere’s Creole seasoning and a teaspoon of black pepper. Instead of making one large loaf, do what I did and form it into nice sized servings—like you would with hamburger steaks.

So, the thing is, I haven’t made a meatloaf in ages because it has just never been a favorite of mine or the farmer’s but this meat loaf will change anyone’s mind and my sauce is going to play a big part in it. We’ll take a cup of ketchup and stir in two tablespoons brown sugar, a capful of Balsamic vinegar and a ½ teaspoon of dry mustard. Then we’ll place our loaves on a grilling pan so the grease can drain off and pour our sauce across the tops. Leave uncovered, and bake at 350 degrees for an hour and fifteen minutes.

Enjoy my New and Improved Meatloaf, y’all. You have my word. This is good eating from the All Things Southern kitchen to yours!