Meatloaf

My mom's meatloaf was a favorite of mine growing up. I loved eating it hot from the oven and then in sandwiches the next day. I have only made a few changes to my mom's original recipe. I always use really lean ground beef but my meatloaf still stays moist and tender - the key is using mushrooms. This meatloaf is easy to make and makes the house smell delicious while it's baking in the oven. I really love the sauce... it's sweet, tart and tangy. I serve my meatloaf with a tossed salad and mashed potatoes and gravy.

• 1 lb lean ground beef (I use 96/4 lean)
• 1/2 sweet yellow onion
• 1/2 lb mushrooms chopped
• 1-2 cloves if garlic minced
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup non fat milk
• 10-12 saltine crackers
• 2 tbsp Italian bread crumbs
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sage

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients well, then form a loaf in the loaf pan.

Sauce:

• 1 cup of ketchup
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Combine ingredients. Add more sugar, mustard or nutmeg to taste. Make sure to save the extra sauce for serving. Completely cover the top of the meatloaf with the sauce before baking.

Bake for 80-90 minutes. Let sit 5-10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy.