Easy Family Favorite Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground beef
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup dry oatmeal
1 egg
1/2 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a shallow casserole dish or loaf pan. The thinner the meatloaf, the faster it will cook. Also, I sometimes jump-start the cooking in the microwave if I’m in a hurry. If you want to do that, make sure you use a microwave safe dish.

Place thawed ground beef in a large mixing bowl.  Add 1/2 cup of the condensed soup and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well.  The best way is too use your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly and dig in. This is a good way to get your children involved. Let them squish and squash until all the ingredients are incorporated.

Put the ground beef mixture in your prepared pan. Pat it until it is an even thickness. I like to leave about an inch of space between the meatloaf and the pan because I like the crunchy crust it develops as it cooks. Then spread the remaining cream of mushroom soup over the top of the meatloaf.

If you want to jump-start the cooking, cover the microwave safe casserole dish with a sheet of waxed paper or paper towel and cook in the microwave on high for 8 minutes.

Then place the meatloaf uncovered in the preheated oven.  I cook my meatloaf at a higher temperature because of the aforementioned crunchy crust. It usually takes 30-40 minutes until the center is no longer pink and the outside of the meatloaf is brown and crunchy.

Take the meatloaf out of the oven, cover loosely with foil and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. A true comfort meal includes the meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob and biscuits with honey butter.  Enjoy!