THE Meatloaf

We had meatloaf tonight and I really, really intended to take pictures of it because I always like the pictures when I am reading blogs. However, it was my daughter's birthday dinner, so I was simultaneously sweeping the floor, making lots of sweet tea, actually setting the table, and keeping my precious ones from getting too many toys out, since we'd already picked everything up twice today. SOOO, I took one picture when I was getting it ready (and who really wants a picture of raw meat? Didn't think so) and never took another one. Sorry, dears.

Ballard Meatloaf
*This is my mother-in-laws recipe and it is great. A simple meatloaf, but always a staple in our household.

1- 1 1/2 lb. ground beef
1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup (or tomato sauce if you'd rather)
1/2 c. oats
1/2 c. chopped onion (I used dried onion, maybe a tablespoon)

Season the ground beef. Add other ingredients. Mix well, and shape into a loaf. Pour ketchup or tomato sauce onto the top of the loaf. Bake for 35-45 minutes at 375.

*I love this meatloaf. I never liked meatloaf as a kid because of the chunks of onion and pepper in it. I still don't like chunks of onion and pepper, I dice them very small and saute them a very long time so they are very soft and I never bite down on a big chunk of it. Anyway, I love this meatloaf. I like ketchup on mine, but tomato sauce (not chunky marinara but canned tomato sauce) is good, too. I have several variations of meatloaf that you will no doubt see eventually (barbeque meatloaf, bacon cheeseburger meatloaf, and the Boston Market meatloaf recipe), but this is the classic.