All-American Meatloaf

Ingredients
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup beef broth or dry red wine
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 slices sourdough bread, cubed (about 2 cups)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 lb. ground beef sirloin
1 lb. ground beef chuck
1 medium green sweet pepper, chopped
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
2 tsp. cider vinegar
Chopped fresh parsley, sliced green onions, and black pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl combine eggs, broth, and Worcestershire sauce; stir in bread cubes. Let stand 15 minutes. With fork, mash bread cubes into small pieces. Stir in Parmesan cheese, mustard, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Add meat, sweet pepper, and onion. Using hands, mix ingredients together well (do not overmix.) Lightly pat meat mixture into 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.* With fingers lightly pull loaf away from sides of pan (see Shape and Bake, below).

2. Bake, uncovered, for 1-1/4 hours. For topping, in small bowl stir together ketchup, brown sugar, and vinegar. Spoon on loaf. Bake 15 minutes more or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 160 degrees F.

3. Let stand 10 minutes. To remove, use two large spatulas inserted along short edges to lift loaf from the pan to a platter. Sprinkle with parsley, green onions, and black pepper. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

4. *Or shape the meat mixture in a 9-inch loaf in a baking dish. Bake as directed.

Shape and Bake: When shaping meat loaf, as in above recipe, in a 9x5x3-inch pan, use a light touch. Packing it tightly will make the loaf dense and tough. For even browning and to prevent drippings from pooling on the loaf, use your fingers to round the top while pushing the sides away from the edges of the pan.
Nutrition Facts

* Calories312,
* Total Fat (g)15,
* Saturated Fat (g)6,
* Monounsaturated Fat (g)6,
* Polyunsaturated Fat (g)1,
* Cholesterol (mg)113,
* Sodium (mg)778,
* Carbohydrate (g)16,
* Total Sugar (g)9,
* Fiber (g)1,
* Protein (g)28,
* Vitamin C (DV%)27,
* Calcium (DV%)8,
* Iron (DV%)16,
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet