Meatloaf with Brown Sugar Glaze
This isn't your dry, boring meatloaf. It's tender, flavorful, and topped with a sweet-tangy brown sugar ketchup glaze that caramelizes in the oven. The secret is using a mix of beef and pork, plus crumbled Ritz crackers soaked in milk to keep it moist. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans for the ultimate comfort meal. Leftovers make killer sandwiches.
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs ground beef (80/20)
- ½ lb ground pork
- 1 cup hand crushed Ritz Crackers
- ½ cup milk
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ cup ketchup (for glaze)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (for glaze)
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar (for glaze)
- 1 tsp yellow mustard (for glaze)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, soak breadcrumbs in milk for 5 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine ground beef, ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs, diced onion, garlic, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, and thyme. Mix with your hands until just combined – don't overmix.
- Shape mixture into a loaf about 9x5 inches on the prepared baking sheet. You want it freeform, not in a loaf pan, so the glaze can caramelize on the sides.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and mustard.
- Brush half of the glaze over the meatloaf, reserving the rest.
- Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with remaining glaze. Return to oven and bake 15-20 more minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve hot with mashed potatoes.