Ritzy Red Pepper Meatloaf
Adapted from Miranda Lambert’s Meatloaf Recipe
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 1 lb. ground breakfast sausage (Also try ground chorizo or Italian sausage)
- 15 finely crushed Ritz crackers (half a sleeve)
- 1 egg
- 1 dash of Worcestershire
- 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I use Sweet Baby Ray’s Honey Chipotle or Sweet ‘n Spicy)
- 2 – 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped finely
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped finely
- Additional 1/4 cup BBQ sauce for topping
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan or casserole dish with tin foil. This will make clean up easier.
- Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl. The best way is with your hands. Just get over it.
- Shape into a loaf on the prepared pan.
- Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.
- Remove loaf from oven, top with additional BBQ sauce and bake for another 15 minutes before serving.
Nothing makes for good looking food photography like a sloppy, saucy meatloaf, am I right? Hear me out though, while the word “meatloaf” might conjure images of the dried out, sad weeknight casserole of your youth, this meatloaf is anything but! A depth of flavor from a mix of ground beef and sausage, a rich, roasty crunch from red bell peppers and a little zip from some BBQ sauce on top really sets this meatloaf apart. Oh and don’t forget the secret weapon- buttery crackers instead of breadcrumbs! This is a great recipe to throw together in a pinch and a good way to use up any random veggies you might be trying to get rid of. What better way to hide vegetables than inside a loaf of meat?
Conversely, you can also serve your veggies on the side too. Nothing beats a heaping helping of meatloaf and some lightly buttered green peas. That’s good eating!
