This is by far my favorite recipe for meatloaf. Meatloaf is one of the first recipes I ever remember my mother making for my brother and I as a child. I loved it from the first bite and have it (either made by my mom or myself) at least once a month! I decided to do some tinkering and experimenting to see if I could up the ante. My mother always topped her Meatloaf with Ketchup straight from the bottle, but what about BBQ Sauce? What about FRESH homemade BBQ Sauce. Needless to say, I got excited. So I decided to whip up a batch of Brown Sugar Bourbon Barbeque Sauce and not only add it to the top of the loaf, but also inside. It was so worth the extra effort!
Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Meatloaf
• 3 lbs lean Ground Beef or Turkey
• 2 large Eggs; whisked
• 1/2 C Milk
• 1 C Breadcrumbs, crushed Saltines or Ritz Crackers
• 1/2 C White Onion; chopped
• 1/4 C Carrot; chopped
• 1/2 C Bell Pepper; minced
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 3 Tbsp Pickled Jalapeno Juice
• 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce
• 2 Garlic Cloves; finely minced
• 1 tsp Italian Herbs
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black Pepper
• 4 C Brown Sugar Bourbon BBQ Sauce
1. In small bowl, combine breadcrumbs or crushed crackers and milk. Rest for 5 minutes to form a paste.
2. In large bowl, combine everything but the 4 cups of BBQ sauce and hand mix until just incorporated. Be sure not over-mix or the meat will become tough and dry.
3. Place 2 slices of stale bread in the bottom of a loaf pan and press meat mixture over top; cover with foil. NOTE: If you place it in the fridge for an hour or overnight it allows the flavors to marry and amplifies the flavors.
4. Preheat oven to 350° f or smoker to 275° f.
5. Spread half of BBQ sauce over meat and cover with foil. Place in oven or smoker; cooking for 45 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to check its internal temperature; it should be around 120° f to 130° f. Remove meatloaf from oven and drain excess fat. Top with remaining BBQ sauce and cook an until internal temperature reaches 135° f.
6. Serve with Mashed Potatoes, gravy, and preferred greens!
7. Enjoy!
