Meatloaf

I made yummy meatloaf tonight! I did my best to make it clean. The loaf itself was clean and it was super yummy. It is my grandmother's recipe, so you better feel special that I am giving it to you! BUT I put in homemade ketchup! I was a little nervous to use the homemade ketchup in this recipe because it is such a classic recipe in my family and I didn't want to ruin a good thing. But it made the meatloaf even BETTER!

The one thing that was not clean was the brown sugar used in the topping. I need to figure out what I can do for that, or just use brown sugar and deal with it. One item out of all isn't so bad. Ok, so here are the recipes:

Homemade Ketchup from cleaneatingmag.com:
*3 tbsp of tomato paste
*2 tsp of grated onion (I used onion powder and only used about 1/2 tsp)
*1 glove of minced garlic (I used garlic powder and only used about 1/4 tsp)
*1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
*1 tsp of agave nectar

Mix them all together into a bowl and refrigerate.

Meatloaf Recipe (I do have to warn you that I eyeball everything when I make this recipe, so I can't promise I have the right portions for some of the ingredients)
*1 lb of ground beef (the less fat the better)
*1 egg
*1/2 tsp of garlic powder
*1 or 2 cups of whole wheat bread crumbs (you want to make sure that the meatloaf isn't too damp and squishy. If it forms into a loaf and holds pretty well you should be good)
*3 tbsp of ketchup (the whole amount that the above recipe makes would be good)

1. Set oven to 400*. Put foil on and in a broiler pan (makes it easier to clean!) and cut holes in the foil so that the grease can drip to the bottom.
2. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add breadcrumbs as needed until it forms well into a loaf.
3. Form into a loaf and place on the broiler pan.
4. Poke holes in the loaf (all over) and then cover the loaf with the topping (recipe below).
5. Bake until the meat is cooked through.


Meatloaf Topping (This recipe is what we put on our meatloaf before it bakes. It is super good!)

*Dark Brown Sugar (I think I will try to use pure maple syrup next time)
*Ketchup

Combine in a bowl equal parts ketchup to brown sugar and mix. Put on top of meatloaf before it bakes.

I used to eat this meal with pierogies, but I had it with steamed broccoli with a little bit of melted cheese on top.