Meatloaf with brown sugar and ketchup glaze from Kansas


Meatloaf recipes are not exclusive to the Midwest of the United States, however, most meatloaf recipes we have come through from this region use ketchup, that is their distinctive touch.


1⁄2 c tomato ketchup (or chili sauce)
4 t vinegar (cider or white wine)
2 T cooking oil (vegetable oil)
1 onion (medium size, chopped)
2 clv garlic (chopped)
2 egg (large)
1⁄2 t thyme (dried leaves)
1 t salt
1⁄2 t pepper (ground black pepper)
2 t mustard (Dijon mustard)
1⁄4 c milk (whole milk or plain yogurt)
2 lb meat (ground meat, best 50% ground chuck, 25% ground pork and 25% ground veal)
2⁄3 c parsley (fresh leaves, finely chopped)
6 oz bacon (finely sliced bacon rashers, 8 to 12 rashers)
1⁄2 c crackers (saltine crackers, crushed)


  1. To make the glaze, mix all the ingredients into a saucepan and set aside.
  2. For the meatloaf, preheat oven to 350º F. In a medium sized skillet, heat the oil and add the onion and garlic. Sauté 5 minutes, until softened. Set aside and allow to cool.
  3. Mix together the next 8 items -starting with eggs and ending with yogurt. Add the egg mix to the meat mix in a large bowl. Add in the garlic and onions, parsley and crackers. Use a fork to mix until it is evenly blended and it does not stick to the side of the bowl. If sticking occurs, add more milk or yogurt a tsp at a time until no more sticking.
  4. Turn the meat out onto a work surface. Pat into a 9x5 inch loaf shape. Place on a foiled line shallow baking pan, and brush with half of the glaze. Arrange the bacon slices by laying them crosswise over the loaf. Over lap the bacon slices and be sure to tuck the ends under the loaf.
  5. Bake for 1 hour or until the bacon is crispy. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes. Over a medium heat, simmer the glaze until it has thickened slightly. Slice and serve the meat loaf, serve with the remaining glaze.
8 servings
Preparation time
Cooking time
Total time
2 hours