Meatloaf

I married a man who is a very basic "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, though he also enjoys fine dining from time to time. I am a "meat and potatoes" kind of girl myself so we get along quite well :). I have shared this recipe before but it is worth sharing again. I am pretty fussy about meatloaf... It can't be too dry or too bland, needs to have wonderful flavor and a YUMMY ketchup topping! This one hits the mark perfectly and has passed the test of many beloved "meatloaf connoisseurs" in my life :). Hope you enjoy!!

Ingredients:
2 lb. lean ground beef or ground chuck
18 Ritz crackers, finely crushed
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
8-oz. can tomato sauce (I prefer Hunt's myself but you can use whichever brand you like)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. ketchup
1/2 c. light brown sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all ingredients except ketchup and brown sugar.
Place in a greased loaf pan*.
Mix ketchup and brown sugar together and spread on top of meat mixture.
Bake for approximately 2 hours.
When you remove the meatloaf from the oven, let it set for a few minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute.

*I prefer baking my meatloaf in a 9 x 13 baking dish. It makes it thinner and can be sliced perfectly for meatloaf sandwiches later or into smaller squares, whichever you prefer. It also reduces the baking time by half. You only need to bake it for an hour or an hour and fifteen minutes at the most!