Basic Trustworthy Meatloaf

I have been making meatloaf for years and years, always the same way with minor variations, but always with saltine cracker crumbs as the binder. Recently, I tried oats. Well! Quick-cooking oats (not instant) make a surprisingly good substitute for either cracker crumbs or bread crumbs in a meatloaf. I have also made this meatloaf without any garlic, and it's just as good. Make sure the onions are chopped up fairly small; the texture of the meatloaf is best that way. Also, don't use extra-lean ground beef as you risk having a dry meatloaf rather than a moist one. Leftovers make a wonderful cold sandwich!

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 2  lbs lean ground beef
• 1  cup  finely chopped onion
• 2  cloves garlic, minced
• 3⁄4 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1⁄2 cup 1% low-fat milk
• 2  large eggs
• 1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
• 1  teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1⁄3 cup ketchup
• 1⁄3 cup barbecue sauce, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F; lightly grease a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for optional barbecue sauce (it really is easiest to use your hands).
3. Pack into prepared loaf pan, and spread barbecue sauce over top (ketchup can be substituted for barbecue sauce, or you can just omit it).
4. Bake until cooked through, at least one hour (I like to do it for 1 hr 15 mins, and it can even go as long as 90 minutes).
5. Drain off fat in pan, let rest for 5 minutes, then cut into slices and serve.