Lesson Learned

I have favorite recipes in particular cookbooks that I just always know are there whenever I need them.  And that works just fine unless it is the only recipe in the cookbook that I use.  Which was the case for my recipe for Mini Meat Loaves.  This particular cookbook belonged to my daughters, and it was always on their bookshelf whenever I needed it.  Until one day I went for it and it wasn't there.  When I asked them where it was, they said they had assumed I had copied down my recipe, and since we didn't use the book for any other recipes, they thought they had donated it to a thrift shop.  Well, I hadn't copied it down, and really wished that I had as it was one of those go to recipes that I like to use.  But fortunately the little book was found in a stack of books on their way to the thrift shop, and I was so happy.  I immediately copied the recipe down and realized that I need to do this with other recipes that I like from books I don't use for anything else.  So my lesson was learned, and in case you are interested, the recipe follows.  If you like meat loaf, these have a very good flavor, and because they are small, they cook very quickly.

Mini Meat Loaves

1/4 cup ketchup
2 T light brown sugar
1 T Dijon mustard
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup tomato sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
4 tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt and pepper

Line a broiler pan with foil and place in oven.  Preheat oven to 425 deg.  Whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard in a small bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients, but do not overmix.  Divide mixture into 4 equal portions (I actually divide it into even more portions) and shape each into a mini loaf.

Bruch each loaf with ketchup mixture.  Remove pan from oven and mist with Pam.  Transfer meat loaves to hot broiler pan, and bake about 20-25 minutes or until center registers 160 deg. F.  Let stand on broiler pan for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring to plates.