Brown Sugar Meatloaf

yooper's Note:

I use chili sauce or salsa instead of ketchup to give a nice contrast to the sweetness of the brown sugar. A lighter version can be made using Splenda brown sugar blend, skim milk, and Egg Beaters. Got this one from the AllRecipes website. It's one of their most popular recipes.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• ½ cup brown sugar , packed
• ½ cup ketchup
• 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
• ¾ cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 small onion , chopped
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¾ cup saltine crumbs , finely crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan.
3. Press the brown sugar in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread the ketchup over the sugar.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix thoroughly all remaining ingredients and shape into a loaf.
5. Place on top of the ketchup.
6. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour or until juices are clear.

Reviews

[Teresa M]

Yooper, this was truly wonderful, moist, very good tasting, meaty (not too much filler), held-together beautifully, even when sliced hot, now that’s a good meatloaf! I knew that ½ cup packed brown sugar was way too much sugar for us with ½ cup ketchup, as we don’t like meat too sweet. So I tried 1/8 cup packed brown sugar, tasted it and it was just right for us. Would not change a thing in the ingredients other than the brown sugar/catsup ratio. Because my oven tends to burn on the bottom I put the catsup/brown sugar mixture all over the top of the meatloaf and that worked great. And thank-you Yooper for suggesting this recipe in my recipe request, I was looking forward to making it and we all really enjoyed it and Will be making it again!

[Daphne2002]

This is an absolutely amazing recipe. My husband actually argued with a co-worker over who's wife made the best meatloaf -- turns out it was the same recipe! I've never enjoyed meatloaf but actually crave this. Wouldn't change a thing, except my family loves ginger so we add a little more.

[Audrey Chapman]

I have never tasted a better meatloaf. It doesn't fall apart and tastes great.