I probably make meatloaf once a week, and I’ve developed some pretty strong opinions about what works and what doesn’t. I have sampled meatloaf across the country, and when it’s good, it’s usually because it’s a simple rendition. If I don’t like it, it’s usually because someone tried to get fancy with it and put something in it that didn’t belong there! This is the one I make most often. I prefer to use lean ground beef because it keeps the meatloaf from being too moist. Also, be sure to remove the meatloaf from the pan as soon as it’s done; otherwise, the fat that has rendered into the pan will be absorbed back into the meat—not good!

　　

Ingredients

serves 8 to 10

　　2 pounds lean ground beef

　　20 saltine crackers, crumbled

　　1 large egg, lightly beaten

　　1/4 cup ketchup

　　1 tablespoon yellow mustard

　　1 teaspoon salt

　　1/2 teaspoon pepper

　　1 medium onion, finely chopped

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

　　

Step 2

Gently mix the beef, cracker crumbs, egg, ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, and onion until blended. Shape the mixture into two loaves and place side by side crosswise in a 9 × 3 × 2-inch pan. Bake the loaves for 1 hour, or until they are browned. Transfer to a platter immediately and allow the loaves to cool slightly and firm up before slicing.

　　

From Trisha

Step 3

If you’ve never had a cold meatloaf sandwich the next day, you don’t know what you’re missing.

　　Reprinted with permission from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen: Recipes from My Family to Yours by Trisha Yearwood with Gwen Yearwood and Beth Yearwood Bernard. Copyright © 2008 by Trisha Yearwood. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Trisha Yearwood is a three-time Grammy-award winning country music star and the author of the bestselling cookbook Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen. She is married to megastar Garth Brooks.