This is one of the recipes I remember my mom making a lot.  We didn't have it every week or anything, but we had it pretty often, and with good reason.  Everyone loves it, even those who don't usually like meatloaf.  For whatever reason there was a span of time I don't remember eating it at all- I'm sure it was partially because I was away at college or living on my own, but recently mom has broken the meatloaf out for some family dinners, and I am immediately transported to second grade, and that's a good thing.



Since rediscovering the meatloaf, I've made it for a family reunion and Drew has made it for the fire station.  This recipe is older than I am, and it's not going anywhere any time soon.

Meatloaf
from my mom's recipe collection

1.5 lbs. ground beef (85/15 is recommended, but any kind will do)
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup milk
4 Tb (1/4 cup) ketchup
1 egg
Salt and pepper

Mix above ingredients and lightly press into a 9x13 baking dish.  Pour over the sauce (recipe to follow) and bake, uncovered, at 350 for 1 hour.

Sauce
4 Tb (1/4 c) apple cider vinegar
2 Tb (1 oz) Worcestershire Sauce
4 Tb (1/4 c) brown sugar
1/2 cup ketchup

Combine sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan.  Heat until warm and pour over meatloaf.

Notes

• my mom recommends 85% lean ground beef and I won't question it.  I'd say if you choose to go leaner, you may want to cover the meatloaf for the first 20-30 minutes.
• You want to use ground beef that is in a square package, not the tube.  The tubes compress the meat too much.