This scrumptious meatloaf has a deliciously fruity glaze that takes this classic dish to a whole new level!
Hey, y'all! Welcome to my latest series on the blog; Make Ahead Mondays! Let me tell you, meal planning and meal prepping has been a game changer for me. Recently, our family grew from a family of 2 to a family of 5 when our latest group of foster children joined us.
Before, when it was just the two of us, I'd meal plan- meaning I'd sit down on the weekends and figure out what meals I was going to prepare throughout the week. I'd jot down a grocery list and head to the store to stock up for the week. Now that we're moms to a 5-year-old and 1 1/2-year-old twin boys, I had to switch over to meal prepping. Meal prepping, for me, means planning out our menu, grocery shopping, and then spending a couple of hours 1 day a week whipping up all of our meals for the week and tossing them into the freezer until we're ready to use them. Ya'll, I have so much more time on my hands doing things this way AND there's a hell of a lot less dishes.
Throughout this series, I'm going to share with you the recipes I use to on these meal prep days. Hang on tight, your life is about to get so much easier! This week, I'm highlighting my Favorite Meatloaf Recipe.
I honestly can't believe that I haven't shared this recipe with ya'll yet! In the past I've shared my Meatloaf Cupcakes recipe and the recipe for Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf but this recipe is our ultimate favorite meatloaf recipe.
Meatloaf has always been my dad's go-to dish when he's in charge of making dinner. I have to admit it, the man makes a damn good meatloaf. He makes a classic Italian-style meatloaf, with ketchup incorporated into the meat and my name (written in ketchup) on the top. It's always been one of my favorite dishes.
I took my dad's recipe and expanded on it a little bit. I swapped out bread for Ritz crackers and add a secret ingredient into the ketchup topping to create a sticky sweet glaze that is guaranteed to keep you coming back.
The secret ingredient is Seedless Blackberry Jam (raspberry tastes great too!). The jam combines with ketchup, and brown sugar to create a delicious sticky sweet glaze that is to die for.
This is seriously one of our favorite dinners. I make it every single time I meal prep. It comes together really quickly and easily and tastes phenomenal. My picky toddlers tear this stuff up!
Tips for Making Freezer Meals:
- Keep an eye on your grocery stores sale flyers and stock up on meat when it's on sale.
- Print off recipes your family likes so you don't have to hunt them down or create a special Pinterest board with all of your favorite freezer meals.
- Label each Ziploc bag with the name of the meal, simple directions and cooking time.
- Make sure you have all of the essentials before you get started- bag holders, gallon size bags, quart size bags, permanent markers, bag holders, and slow cooker liners are great to have on hand.
Kitchen Essentials:
Ingredients:
2 lb ground beef
1 cup crushed Ritz crackers
1 egg
1 cup milk
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
For the Glaze:
3/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup seedless blackberry jam
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
To Enjoy Now:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray, set aside.
2. Combine the meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl. Use your hands to fully incorporate all of the ingredients.
3. Pour the meatloaf contents on the baking sheet. Use your hands to form a "loaf" shape using the beef.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes.
5. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. Mix well. Spread 1/2 of the mixture evenly over the meatloaf. Reserve the rest of the topping.
6. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and cook for approximately 20 more minutes.
7. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining topping.
To Enjoy Later (as a freezer meal):
1. Label a gallon size Ziploc bag with the meals name, directions and cook time. Set aside for step 4.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the meatloaf ingredients. Place the beef mixture into a new gallon size bag (not the labeled one). Set aside.
3. Place all of the glaze ingredients into a quart size bag. Seal the bag. Massage the bag to combine the ingredients.
4. Place the beef bag and the sauce bag in the labeled Ziploc. Freeze.
5. Thaw overnight or for 24 hours.
6. Pour the meatloaf contents on the baking sheet. Use your hands to form a "loaf" shape using the beef.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes.
8. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients. Mix well. Spread 1/2 of the mixture evenly over the meatloaf. Reserve the rest of the topping.
9. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and cook for approximately 20 more minutes.
10. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving. Serve with the remaining topping.
Be sure to save this yummy pin for later! Give me a like on Facebook or follow me on Instagram and Twitter for more delicious, easy to make recipes. You can also subscribe to the blog to have the recipes delivered straight to your inbox. See you next time!
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