Meatloaf with a brown sugar topping in the bottom of the pan is a different take on a favorite family meal. Comfort foods are the best, especially when it is cold outside. However, a good meatloaf is delicious any time of year. This one is made differently than I have ever made a meatloaf. It is not formed and shaped like a football, as I have always done, and it is not covered in the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard concoction with just a hint of horseradish my mom taught me to make.
I believe we are headed for, or maybe in, a recession, so this recipe could be very handy for you. Looking back at history, it repeatedly shows that financial hardship drives people to get a little more creative in the kitchen. History shows us the creativity that blossomed during the Great Depression carried on into the 1940s. As wartime rations made it necessary to substitute and stretch ingredients, eggs and vegetables became popular meat substitutes, and recipes like meatloaf and tomato-based soups became commonplace in the kitchen. After the war, food manufacturers explored methods that gave products a longer shelf life. In the second half of the decade, scientists started to study how to keep food fresh longer. This led to more convenience products being sold.
During the Great Depression, meatloaf became popular again, just like many other 1940s recipes. Not only was it a simple recipe with delicious results, but the use of bread or cracker crumbs helped stretch the ground beef, which was hard to come by then. During WWII, many meatloaf recipes went even further to “stretch the meat” by adding other protein sources, like soy, liver, or pork. I have added pork, ground turkey, and ground chicken to meatloaf recipes. But I have to confess that my favorite is ground beef.
Upside Down Meatloaf
This upside-down meatloaf with brown sugar topping in the bottom of the pan is a different take on the usual meatloaf recipe I use, but it is easier, and I think it will be as tasty as the pictures show.
Ingredients
- brown sugar – ½ cup packed
- ketchup – ½ cup
- lean ground beef – 1 ½ pound
- eggs – 2 large
- chopped onion – 1 small
- Ro-tel tomatoes- 1 can, drained
- milk – ¾ cup
- finely crushed panko bread crumbs – ¾ cup
- salt – 1 ½ teaspoon
- ground black pepper – ¼ teaspoon
- red pepper flakes – 1/4 teaspoon
Directions
- Oven – Preheat to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 5×9-inch loaf pan.
- Next, add brown sugar to the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and press down firmly and evenly. Then add the ketchup, smoothing out evenly over the sugar.
- Now place all remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand. Don’t be afraid to get your hands messy. Shape into a football. Place on top of the ketchup.
- Bake for 1 hour in preheated oven.
Beef Gravy
Now that you have the meatloaf, are you ready to make the gravy? What is meatloaf (or any beef dinner) without gravy? Mashed potatoes are naked without gravy. I learned very early to make gravy. My girls have always loved my gravy. Beef gravy, sausage gravy—whatever meal required gravy, I was the one to make it. Here is my recipe.
Ingredients
- At least 4 cups of beef broth or beef drippings, or a combination of both, to make 4 cups
- If you don’t have pan dripping or beef broth, I use four beef bouillon cubes dissolved in 4 cups of water.
- Approximately one teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder (I am guessing, I don’t measure)
- Four tablespoons flour again. This is a guess
- 1/3 cup water this one I do measure
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a medium-sized pan, combine beef broth, onion powder, and garlic powder. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
- Reduce heat and simmer.
- In a measuring cup, combine flour and water, stirring until well mixed.
- When you are ready to add the flour mixture bring the broth back to a soft boil.
- While whisking the broth CONSTANTLY, slowly add the flour mixture to the broth. I add about a tablespoon at a time slowly to gauge consistency. You may not need all the flour mixture; add only until desired consistency is reached.
- Add pepper to taste.
- Allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Serve over mashed potatoes and meatloaf or any beef dishes.
What goes better with a good comfort meal than a bottle of fine wine from our Wine of the Month Club? A medium-bodied version of red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Ricord Merlot, or an excellent Shiraz would be perfect, and you can get your choice from our DTCA Club delivered right to your door.
