I'm one of the only people I know who actually enjoys meatloaf. So chances are you probably don't enjoy meatloaf yourself, unless you've somehow landed on this page through Google or something :) In any case, I've been wanting to make my own meatloaf for some time now, and since it's a somewhat hearty dish, I knew I had to make it before the weather got too warm.

I looked over a bunch of meatloaf recipes and realized that it's not actually too difficult to make, so I concocted my own recipe, out of practicality and health and taste reasons.

Maxine's Meatloaf
Yields about 8-10 servings

Ingredients
Meatloaf
1 1/2 lbs of 90% lean ground beef or ground turkey
2 eggs
1 small-to-medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk of celery, finely chopped
1 cup of crushed saltine crackers or 1/3 cup of oats
3/4 cup of milk
1/3 cup of fresh herbs (parsley, sage, whatever you like)
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of ground pepper

Topping (adapted from Paula Deen's recipe):
1/2 cup of ketchup
1 tablespoon of mustard
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
* You may want to double the recipe if you plan on serving the meatloaf with an extra side of sauce ... this is only enough to cover the top of the loaf.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Beat the eggs and add the onion, carrot, celery, saltine crackers, milk, herbs, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the meat, and mix well. Shape the mixture into an oval or loaf shape and place in an ungreased loaf pan.

Mix the topping ingredients together and spread over the loaf. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes when the loaf has reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit, and allow to stand for 10 minutes before cutting and serving.