Meatloaf was one of those things that my mom always tried to get me to eat and I would consistently refuse.

Trust me when I say, my mom is an amazing cook… but meatloaf was NOT her specialty. And if you’re anything like me, when you think about meatloaf, what comes to mind is a dry, unseasoned, overcooked, unappealing, flavorless block of meat.

But this recipe couldn’t be farther from those awfully bland adjectives! This meatloaf is full of flavor, moist, completely delicious and perfectly seasoned… perfect for these cold winter nights!

(I do have to say – one thing that made a huge difference in how my meatloaf turned out was what I cooked it in. The Rachel Ray 2-piece Meatloaf Pan really put my dish on the path to perfection, so if you can… pick one up!)

Talk about yum and easy on a weeknight. The kids WILL eat this and so will you!

Not Your Mother’s Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 1 pound of ground beef, turkey or chicken
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 1-2 carrots diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 large clove of minced garlic
• 2 tbs. hot sauce- not tabasco- if you can use crystal
• 2 tbs. Worcesterhire sauce
• 1 tbs. light soy sauce
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl using your hands… don’t be afraid to get dirty! Transfer mixture into loaf pan that has been coated with non-stick spray.

Glaze for the meatloaf

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tbs. brown sugar
• 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. hot sauce

Directions

In a small bowl combine the ingredients.  Stir until the sugar is smooth.  Using a pastry brush- brush the glaze generously on top of the meat.  Bake in the oven.  Using an instant-read-thermometer instert into the center of the loaf until it has an internal temp of 160 degrees- or as my mommy thermometer goes… about an hour and change.

Serve with some mashed potatoes and fresh peas and corn! YUM!