Third Time's the Charm

I've been trying to find a good meatloaf recipe for a while now. My husband likes it, although I've never been a big fan, and I try to make things he'll enjoy. I've tried twice before and each time the meatloaf turned out way too moist and soggy.

Someone I know finally mentioned that they also prefer a more dry meatloaf and that they use the recipe on the back of the Lipton Onion Soup Mix package. So I decided to give it a try, with a couple of alterations.

The recipe called for 2 eggs, which I reduced to one. I used Panko bread crumbs instead of standard bread crumbs, and threw in a couple of handfuls of oatmeal for good measure. The recipe instructions on the soup mix say to form it into a loaf but to put it in a 9 x 13" pan, not a loaf pan. This allowed the grease to cook out of the meat and didn't leave the loaf boiling in its own juices. I took the meatloaf out of the oven when it was about halfway done and poured off the grease. When it was done cooking I poured off the juices again before letting it rest for a few moments. Next time I might try getting ground beef with a lower fat content. We've been buying the big 5 lb rolls of ground beef lately because it's cheapest, but it can be fatty.

My husband declared it a success and ate three pieces, and I even ate a piece and a half myself (in my previous attempts I didn't even manage to finish one.) So it looks like the third time was the charm when it comes to meatloaf!

Meatloaf with Onion Soup Mix
Ingredients:
2 lbs ground beef
1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup mix (there are 2 in a box)
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup oats 
3/4 cup water
1/3 cup ketchup
1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
3. Shape into a loaf and place in the middle of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish. 
4. Bake 1 hour. Remove from oven after 30 minutes and drain off liquid. When done, drain liquid again and let rest 10 minutes before serving.