Shortly after Jamie returned home from his first deployment in February 2012 and we began “real” married life, I had a conversation with his mom about how I was already running out of dinner ideas. I’d been so used to eating pasta and Lean Cuisines while he was gone and wanted to up my “dinner game” and finally feel like a wife. 🙂 A few hours later she emailed me a big attachment with a handful of Jamie’s favorite meals growing up as well as some of their traditional family recipes.
There’s one recipe in particular that I’ve referred back to dozens of times throughout the last few years that never fails as a crowd pleaser; of all things – meatloaf! Many of my girlfriends have also adopted this as their staple meatloaf recipe. It can’t be beat!
Though I was never a meatloaf fan growing up (just the idea of it used to gross me out for no good reason), this family recipe completely changed my mind! Passed down from Jamie’s paternal great-grandmother’s sister (cool, right?), this meal tastes incredibly savory and sweet and also does a stellar job of making the entire house smell good (side note: I weirdly find it extremely gratifying when my husband walks in the door and immediately pauses and grins before letting out a big Man, it smells good in here!).
- FOR THE MEATLOAF:
- 1.25 lb. ground beef or ground turkey (we usually do ground turkey and never taste the difference!)
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 diced onion
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine meatloaf ingredients well and then shape in meatloaf pan.
- Combine sauce ingredients and pour over meatloaf.
- Bake uncovered for 50 minutes if using ground BEEF and 65 minutes if using ground TURKEY.
- Enjoy immensely!
More of my favorite recipes on the blog that I highly recommend for your family!
Click here for the very best blueberry mojito (lightened up!) that you’ll ever taste!
Are you a pasta lover? Don’t miss these noodles with a creamy marinara sauce and sausage. So popular and yummy! Click here for the recipe.
Want a quick week-night pizza? This Naan bread pizza is TO DIE FOR. Click here for the recipe.
Hi! I’m a proud Army wife and mom to two little girls (ages 1 and 4), and I love sharing our lives with you. I blog all about motherhood, our time in the military, our travels, our meals, my fitness journey, my fashion favorites, and so much more. I truly enjoy sharing it all! I can’t get enough of birthday cake ice cream, weekend sunrise runs, or making my girls belly-laugh. I write almost daily about my family’s lives, and though I like to keep things light, I also share the messy parts too. Welcome! So glad to have you around. I’m active on Facebook and Instagram and would love to communicate with you there!
