Sweet & Sour Meatloaf

This is your grandma’s meatloaf recipe, except somebody gave it a personality upgrade.

Two pounds of ground beef get mixed with crushed crackers, egg, onion, and sliced mushrooms for a loaf that’s moist and packed with savory flavor. But the real move is the sauce: tomato sauce sweetened with brown sugar, sharpened with vinegar, and spiked with a spoonful of mustard.

Half the sauce goes into the meat mixture. The other half gets poured right on top before baking, where it bubbles down into a sticky, caramelized glaze with edges that get just a little bit crispy.

This is weeknight comfort food that punches way above its weight.

Kitchen Tips

• Don’t overmix the meat. Use your hands and stop as soon as everything is combined. Overworking makes the loaf dense and rubbery.
• Let it rest 10 minutes after pulling it from the oven. The juices redistribute and it slices much cleaner.
• Swap the crackers for breadcrumbs if that’s what you have. Saltines, Ritz, or plain breadcrumbs all work fine.