Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a classic comfort food. The very mention of meatloaf makes me think of Grandma in the kitchen making Sunday dinner; surrounded by family and enticing aromas. (And I'm not even sure I have ever had my Grandma's meatloaf.) This delicious recipe is sweetened with grated carrots and sweet sausage. The addition of fresh chopped parsley gives it a clean flavor. The many mix-ins make the loaf light and airy and the topping is so good your little ones may even prefer it to plain old ketchup.
Serves: 4
Start to Finish: 2 hours
Recipe By: Nan Slaughter

Ingredients:

Meatloaf:
1 1/2 eggs (be creative, I know eggs don't come in 1/2 a portion; but it was the only way to get it to serve 4 people)
1/3 cup milk
1 slice French bread, torn into small pieces (the french bread gives it nice character but you could use stale white bread if you needed to)
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (I use my cheese grater for this)
1/4 cup grated carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 TBSP chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper
pinch of dried thyme
pinch of dried bay leaves
1 lb lean ground beef
1 sausage link (mild Italian sausage)

Topping:
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 tsp prepared mustard
1 cup tomato sauce

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs.
3. Add milk, bread and oatmeal.
4. Stir in cheese, carrots, onions, parsley, and seasonings.
5. Add beef and sausage and mix well.
6. In a shallow baking dish, shape beef mixture into loaf.
7. Make topping by combining: ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and tomato sauce into a bowl.
8. Bake meatloaf for 45 minutes.
9. Spoon half of the topping over meatloaf.
10. Return meatloaf to the oven and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes or until meatloaf is cooked thoroughly. (Total baking time about 1 1/2 hours. Cover with foil if it gets too brown.)