Grandma's Meatloaf

What is more comforting on a cool winter night than roasted fingerling potatoes and rosemary with a nice big slice of meatloaf? Not much.

This easy and utterly delicious recipe is inspired by a recipe of my grandmother's. While she grates her onions, so you can't detect the texture, I instead opted to sauté a finely diced onion and then combine it with fresh herbs for a new twist. You could cheat and top the meatloaf with ketchup, like many "easy" meatloaf recipes suggest, but the cloyingly sweet topping is nowhere near as delicious as a homemade topping.

Serve with those crisp-roasted potatoes and some roasted broccoli. Comfort food at its finest!

Easy Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
One 8-ounce can pureed tomatoes
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In the same sauté pan, combine the tomatoes, vinegar, mustard, and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Combine the ground beef and breadcrumbs in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil and add the onions. Sauté until translucent over high heat, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to beef. Season with salt and parsley. Mix well.

Press meat mixture into a loaf pan. Top with ½ cup sauce. Place in oven and bake 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, baste with the juices and add ½ cup more sauce. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes and baste again. Cook for about 10 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool 10 minutes. Cut into slices and serve with an additional spoonful of sauce.

Servings: 6
Makes: 1 loaf
Total time: 45 minutes