Best Meatloafballs

Best Meatball loaves... or is it meatloaf balls??

Finding meals that everyone in my family will enjoy is always a bit tricky when you consider that we have one vegetarian and one carnivore sitting at our dining table each night.  Well, this week, the vegetarian was gallivantin' around South Carolina so the carnivores were fed.

My mother in law sent this recipe to me with high reviews.  I "tweaked" it a little to fit my family.  There really isn't a recipe that I don't tweak somehow...



Here it is... the best meatball loaves around.

preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9x13 pan.

Mix together 1 egg and 3/4 cup milk.
Add to that:

1 c. shredded colby/jack cheese mix (original recipe called for cheddar)
1/4 c. dried minced onions (original recipe called for 1/2 cup chopped onion)
1/2 lb ground beef   (original recipe only used 1 pound ground beef and no pork)
1/2 lb ground pork sausage
1/2 c. oatmeal
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder (original recipe didn't add garlic powder... I know, shocking right?)

Mix it up, and don't be a wuss... use your hands.  Squishy, squishy through your fingers.  (If my little sister is reading this, she probably just gagged a bit.)  Sorry Jen!  Now the mix seemed to be a little soppier than what I normally do for meatloaf, but I rolled with it (get my pun? )  Yeah, okay, so I am really glad I did, because these babies were moist and really, really good.  So, resist the urge to use less milk or more oatmeal.

Now, I divided the mixture into 6 large meat balls or mini loaves.  Call them whatever you want, dividing it up like this makes it easier to serve as well as takes less baking time.  Win: Win!

Now, on to the sauce:
Mix together:
2/3 c. ketchup
1/2 c. brown sugar (not packed)
1 1/2 tsp. prepared mustard

Spoon this over the top of each little meat...thingy.
Bake for 45 minutes or until done... you might have to poke into one of them to see if there is any pink left.  I baked mine for 45 exactly and they were perfectly cooked but still extremely moist.

Starch anyone?  My son was overjoyed... seriously.
Not a green thing in sight!  I call this my "TV Dinner" meal.
All we need is a round brownie and a folding tray table.

ENJOY!