Fall is in the air (actually more like winter - I think we've kinda skipped fall after last night). When the weather gets cold one of the things I look forward to is making soups and other items in the oven. I try not to use my oven in the summer - it's just too hot. So, here is my recipe (with a picture - can you believe it?) for meatloaf. Ok, so you're not a meatloaf fan. I wasn't either. My moms meatloaf had a lot to be desired - it was VERY dry and lacked any flavor, but I really like this recipe. I got it from my friend Tiffany who laughed when I told her I couldn't cook a good meatloaf. Well, she gave me this recipe and it's good and fairly easy to make and it's one of those recipes that is not a "perfect" recipe. What I mean by that is this - you can add as little or as much as you want depending on taste. I'll give you my amounts, but you can play with it and see if you can make it better. Good luck and good eating!



















MEATLOAF

The first picture is what it looks like before baking and the second is after baking. I know it looks dark, but that is the bacon and the bbq sauce. Don't panic!




3 lbs. ground beef (I use extra lean)
4 eggs
1 c. bread crumbs (I use plain)
1/2 c. bbq sauce or ketchup
1/3 c. A-1
minced onion to taste
garlic, salt and pepper to taste
6-8 Bacon slices
Carrots




Prepeat oven to 400 deg, Mix all ingredients well. If it is too dry you can add more bbq sauce. When well mixed, turn into a greased 9x13 pan. Shape into a loaf. Pour extra bbq sauce on top (again to taste). Layer bacon on the top. Here's a hint I learned - if you lay the bacon short ways (as shown), you can slice the meatloaf after each slice. Surround meat loaf with carrots - baby, sliced, or chunked - whatever your preference is. You can also put in potatoes, but because there isn't much liquid they will be slightly dry.


Cook for approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes. If you go over, even as much as 1/2 hour, you're still good. Enjoy!