Bev’s Famous Meat Loaf from&nbsp;Miranda Lambert

meat loaf cut into slices and green beans on plate on table; drinking glasses and some type of seasoning above plate

Emily Dorio

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 pound ground pork sausage
18 saltine crackers, crushed
½ green bell pepper, chopped
½ yellow onion, finely chopped
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup ketchup
2 tablespoons flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use an 11-by-7-inch baking dish.

Add the ground beef, sausage, crackers, bell pepper, onion, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and ¼ cup of the brown sugar to a medium bowl. Mix with your hands until blended. Shape the mixture into a 10-inch-by- 5-inch loaf and place in the baking dish.

Bake for one hour. Remove from the oven; drain the juices into a separate bowl and reserve for the gravy. In a bowl, stir together the ketchup and the remaining ¼ cup brown sugar for the glaze. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons of the glaze for the gravy. Spread the rest over the meatloaf. Bake for 15 minutes more, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion registers 160°F. Pour the drained meat juices into a saucepan and heat until hot. Add the flour and stir until thickened. Mix 1½ cups of hot water into the reserved glaze and add it to the saucepan. Cook until it starts to bubble. Remove from the heat and generously season with salt and pepper.

Remove the loaf from the oven and let stand for 20 minutes. Then serve directly from the casserole dish, alongside your favorite mashed potatoes topped with the gravy.