Our Favorite Meatloaf

Our Favorite Meatloaf

Regina’s Original Recipe

This past week, we hosted our fourth annual Sadie Rose Foundation memorial picnic and balloon release to remember our children gone too soon. While everyone is invited to bring a dish, I like to fix a good-sized contribution since we are the hosts. This year, I made an 8-pound meatloaf and roasted it with potatoes and carrots. Whether you make one batch or double or triple it, this is an excellent potluck contribution wherever you go. 

Meatloaf recipes are a dime a dozen online, but this original creation of mine is our family's favorite. 

I also made some yummy bars and iced coffee for the picnic that I will share in another post.

I forgot to take a photo once it was baked, but this was the meatloaf ready for the oven. I sprinkled the vegetables with Wildtree's California Garlic and Pepper Blend.

2 pounds quality ground beef

½ cup crushed Ritz crackers

1 large egg, beaten

2 Tablespoons Wildtree Absolutely Onion Blend (an all-natural alternative to Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix)

¼ cup soy sauce

A few splashes of your favorite hot sauce (I use Wildtree’s Smoky Chipotle Hot Sauce)

A good ½ cup of milk (more if it seems too dry)

1 teaspoon Wildtree Rancher Steak Rub OR salt and pepper to taste

Add veggies to your liking. (diced peppers, onions, etc)

For a meatloaf of this size, you will need a large mixing bowl

Method: Mix together and shape into loaf. Place in greased pan. Top with glaze recipe below and bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes.(Adjust cooking time for larger meatloaf.)

Glaze:

½ cup ketchup

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 – 2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

(Can add 1 Tablespoon of your favorite jelly: grape, peach, strawberry, blueberry and apple are all good.)

After glazing, I like to sprinkle some Wildtree’s Perfect Pizza Sauce Seasoning Blend over the glaze. Any Italian seasoning would work.

In the roaster, ready for glazing

Enjoying the meal

We write personal messages to our children that have died and release the balloons together

Inevitably, some balloons get stuck in a nearby tree, but still always an emotional and incredible moment as we remember our children together.