1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 cup soft bread crumbs
1 egg
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Topping
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Heat oven to 350°F. Measure 1/4 cup tomato sauce, combine with topping ingredients in small bowl.
Set aside.
Combine remaining tomato sauce with remaining meatloaf ingredients in large bowl, mixing lightly but thoroughly.
Shape beef mixture into 8 x 4-1/2-inch loaf on rack in broiler pan. Spread topping over meatloaf.
Bake in 350°F oven 1 hour to medium (160°F) doneness, until not pink in center and juices show no pink color.
Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into slices.
Tip:
To make soft bread crumbs, place torn bread in food processor or blender container. Cover, process, pulsing on and off, to form fine crumbs. One and one-half slices make about 1 cup crumbs. To save time, and for a different presentation, beef mixture may be divided evenly and shaped into three 1-1/2-inch thick loaves. Place on rack in broiler pan, spread topping evenly over loaves. Bake in 350°F oven 40 to 45 minutes to medium (160°F) doneness, until not pink in center and juices show no pink color.
Note:
Due to the natural nitrate content of certain ingredients often used in meatloaf, such as onions, celery and bell peppers, meatloaf may remain pink even when a 160°F internal temperature has been reached. Always check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer or instant-read thermometer to be certain it reaches 160°F.
Four-Pepper Meatloaf Variation:
Prepare meatloaf as above, adding 1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper to ground beef mixture.