Easy Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf

I’m trying to use my pantry ingredients to make meals without buying anything unnecessary. So when I wanted to use up a pound of regular ground beef from the freezer to make meatloaf, but didn’t have any celery in the house, I wondered if I could use a box of Stove Top stuffing as a substitute/ingredient. I asked around on my FB food groups and got lots of go-aheads. For the meats, I used a pound each of regular ground beef and lean ground pork.

I didn’t have any mashing potatoes so I ate the sliced and browned meatloaf on sourdough wholewheat bread sandwiches.

Easy Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf – makes 2 one pound loaves

Meatloaf mixture

1 large carrot, peeled and grated
1/2 large onion, grated
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup each ground beef and lean pork
1 (6 ounce) box Stove Top stuffing mix (any flavor)
1 cup warm water or milk (or half of each)
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2-1 tsp salt (I used the smaller amount and think it needed a bit more next time)
1/3 cup ketchup or bbq sauce

Glaze

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup bbq sauce

Preheat oven to 375 deg F.

In a large saute pan, saute the onions and carrots in the vegetable oil until the onions are translucent and the carrots are tender. Transfer to a medium sized bowl and let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl mix together all the ingredients.

Pat into two 1 pound disposable aluminum loaf pans in which you’ve poked a dozen or so holes with a wooden skewers. Place on a rack over a foil lined baking pan to catch any fat that oozes out.

Mix glaze ingredients together and spread a thin layer on top.

Bake for 1 hour (half an hour covered and half an hour uncovered) or until the middle is cooked through.

Put under the broiler for a few minutes if you want a darker top. Let stand for at least 10 min to let the juices redistribute through the loaf before cutting.

(You can stick a knife into the center and test the temperature of the knife against your chin.)