Mom...Meatloaf...now!

In yet another attempt at meatloaf, I decided to take the plunge yet again. Could I do it? Could I make a meatloaf that would taste good and my hubby would eat? Could I make a meatloaf that would be good as leftovers tomorrow?

The answer...yes. Seems that if I follow a recipe for this, it does turn out. Alton Brown has always been a fave of mine on the Food Network. I think I like his science kind of geekyness that he portrays on his "Good Eats" show. Others find it annoying, I find it fascinating. This recipe comes from www.foodtv.com courtesy of Mr. Brown.

Hmmm, I suspect that if you have a fully stocked spice cabinet and also random sauces in your fridge, you can find everything you need. If you don't have Worcestershire sauce, try using soy sauce. While it won't give you that meaty kick, it will give a tang to the sauce topping that you know and love.

Meatloaf
3/4 cup garlic croutons (you can also use bread crumbs here, but I happen to need to use up some stale homemade croutons I had!)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/4 onion roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic peeled
1/4 red or yellow bell pepper
1 lb ground beef
1 egg

For the glaze:
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp ground cumin
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 TBsp honey

Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
Combine croutons, pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme and chili powder in food processor. Pulse until a crumb consistency and put into large bowl. Combine onion, garlic, and bell pepper in the processor and pulse until chopped, not pureed. Add veggie mixture to large bowl with ground beef and mix all together with crumbs/spices. After combined, add the egg and mix well, making sure not to squeeze meat.

Shape into a loaf shape. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and move loaf onto parchment lined pan. Put into oven.

While meatloaf is cooking, combine glaze ingredients and brush over meatloaf after it has been in the oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cook for about 30 more minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 155 degrees when placed in the center of the meatloaf.

Pretty easy, huh? This meatloaf tastes great with some mashed potatoes and gravy. Don't give up on meatloaf, readers! This recipe will do you good.