AHOP's 'Magic' Meatloaf

Okay, so we all know there is really no such thing as a 'magic' meatloaf, but the very first time I made this for 2nd shift, immediately following dinner, the Sergeant received a Priority One call before he even left my driveway.  He sent me a thank you note later that night and mentioned the priority call he responded to and said …. "I couldn’t have done it without your magic meatloaf."  Translation:  We appreciate everything you do for us.  The officers I cook for make it so easy to want to do for them because they never forget to show their gratitude -- it only makes me want to do more.  Sometimes I’ll get a quick text message thanking me even before they leave my front yard.  I’m sure there are many missed meals when a Priority One call takes precedence over their lunch or dinner.  So many times, their patrol car is their office and their dinner table. 

I did a lot of research for my final meatloaf concoction.  I scoured the Internet, cookbooks, I asked my friends, and I had my friends call their moms. I wanted to come up with one recipe that would be a winner every time and I think I achieved that.  All the recipes varied. Some recipes used raw onions, some said to sauté the onions first, some recipes called for white bread, some said to use bread crumbs, some recipes called for milk, some didn’t. 

You won't believe how stressed out I was over this meatloaf.  I had to keep reminding myself...
IT – IS– JUST – A – MEATLOAF!! 

So here it is….I hope you all enjoy it as much as my 1st and 2nd shift officers did. 

AHOP’s Magic Meatloaf
Thanks to Mike, Mary T. (Mike's Mom) and my friend, Jeff (a Culinary Chef), for their input and help with this recipe.

• 2 lbs. ground chuck
• ½ onion diced
• ½ green pepper diced
• 1 tbs. lite olive oil,  vegetable oil,  or butter (your preference) - I used lite olive oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Progresso Italian breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 tsp Worcestershire
• ¼ cup ketchup
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Glaze for Top of Meatloaf 
Recipe from 'Aunt Bee's Mayberry Cookbook'

¼ cup ketchup
3 tbsp brown sugar

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large skillet, saute the chopped onions and green pepper in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes. Stir, stir, stir so they are just translucent and not browned.  Transfer to a small bowl to let cool for about 5 minutes. 
• In a large bowl, combine the meat, eggs, bread crumbs, Worcestershire, ketchup, salt/pepper, and onion/peppers.  I purchased some food prep gloves at my local grocery store to mix my meatloaf, but your bare hands work well too.  
• Mix really well -- it will fall apart if you don't mix it well, so you want to be sure all of those breadcrumbs are incorporated into the meat really well.  While you're mixing and kneading your meatloaf in the bowl, start to shape it into a loaf.
• Line a 13" x 9" pan with the parchment paper I love so much.  Transfer your loaf from the bowl to the baking pan and continue to form a rectangular loaf about 2" tall and about 6" wide.
• Bake uncovered in a preheated 350 degree oven.  Full cooking time is an hour.
• After 30 minutes in the oven, remove the meatloaf to put the glaze on top. But before adding the glaze, I remove some of the grease from the pan. It's very hot, so be careful. Tilt the pan slightly and take a bunch of paper towels to soak up some of the grease and discard the towels.  You don't have to get all of it - but get what you can without going to too much trouble.  
• Using a basting brush, brush the brown sugar/ketchup glaze on top. Return to the oven for the remaining 30 minutes cooking time.  

Serves 4-6

I wish this picture had come out better. It was moist and had lots of flavor.