Saucy Meatloaf

This is, hands down, one of 9 year old Karate Guy's favourite meals. For some reason he adores ground beef -- especially in loaf or ball form. Apparently it tastes better when in those shapes. Who knew?!?

I would have posted a picture of tonight's meatloaf but, quite honestly, I don't think meatloaf takes a good picture ... ever. While it's a really tasty dish, sadly it's just not that pretty.

This is my favourite meatloaf recipe. I remember as a child hating meatloaf with a passion. It would sit on my plate for what seemed like hours (probably more like a 1/2 hour) until it was cold and practically inedible. It wasn't until I found this recipe about 10 years ago that I actually started to like it. The BBQ sauce is simple to make and has a great flavour that spices up a dish that, let's face it, can be pretty blaw on it's own. In a pinch you can also just use store-bought BBQ sauce but I prefer homemade when possible.

It's also a really easy dish to make for those busy nights that we all have. You can prepare the meat mixture ahead of time (just leave it in the fridge). Pour the sauce over it right before popping it in the oven. Try making this with ground turkey as well.

1lb lean ground beef
1 small onion, chopped finely
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste

BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup water
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine beef, onion, egg, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. I use my hands to mix the ingredients well. Place in a 9x5-inch loaf pan (or an 11x7-inch baking dish). I prefer the 11x7-inch dish because the meat mixture isn't as thick.

In a 2 cup measuring cup, mix ketchup, water, dry mustard and brown sugar with a small whisk. Pour over meat and bake for 1 hour. Drain off fat. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Yield: 4-5 servings