Mama's Meatloaf

So once upon a time when I was trying to learn how to cook, I caught a meatloaf on fire.  That's right....there were flames in the oven!  That is how terrible of a cook I was when I first started.  But...every fail is a great learning opportunity in cooking and in life.  If you learn something, it's not a fail, it's a gain!  I learned how to make meatloaf from Paula Deen's cookbook.  She taught me how to make several versions of it and I landed on this one as our family meatloaf, which is similar to her basic meatloaf recipe.  I think your father, and now Chatham, enjoys it more as a meatloaf sandwich than anything else! 


Ingredients:
2 pounds of ground beef (80-90%)
1/2 green bell pepper finely diced
1 small Vidalia onion finely diced
2 cloves minced garlic
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire
salt, pepper to season generously


Topping:
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon mustard
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons Lea & Perrins Worcestershire

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat oil in a pan and add onion and green pepper.  Cook about 5-6 minutes until soft.
Add garlic and cook another minute or two.  Remove from heat and let cool.
Add all ingredients to a large bowl and use a fork or your hands to mix together well but gently.
Form a large, thin loaf on a rimmed baking sheet (line with foil for easier clean up) or in a meatloaf pan.
Mix topping ingredients well and spoon over the meatloaf.
Bake for 1 hour then remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before slicing.