Paula Deen's Lean: Barbecue Meatloaf

Meatloaf is not a meal that I absolutely flip over, but it does just hit the spot every now and then. I remember growing up and being so disappointed to find out that we were having meatloaf for dinner. "Yuk! Why meatloaf?" As years have passed, it really isn't as bad as I remember it being (no offense Mom). And now that I am the one doing the cooking, I can really appreciate how easy it is to throw one together.


This recipe adds a little kick to the traditional meatloaf you are probably used to. The following is my take on Paula Deen's Barbecue Meatloaf.


BARBECUE MEATLOAF
Serves 6


INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds 93/7 ground beef



1 cup oatmeal


1 onion, diced


1/4 cup egg beaters 


1 1/2 teaspoons salt


1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce

3 tablespoons vinegar

3 tablespoons SPLENDA brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup water, to thin sauce if necessary

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix together the beef, oatmeal, onion, egg, salt, pepper, and 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce. Form this mixture into a loaf and place it in a shallow pan. Stir together the remaining tomato sauce, vinegar, SPLENDA brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire and the water (if too thick). Pour this sauce over the meatloaf. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the pan juices.

Paula also suggests serving a slice of this on a bun with mayo; light mayo, of course.

RESULTS:

The pictures do not give this dish justice. It is really good! Never had I put barbecue and meatloaf together, but it is a great combination. The major change made to this recipe was to use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs. Oatmeal is a healthy source of fiber that also packs in important vitamins such as vitamin E, Zinc and Iron. It is a smart substitute to bread.

My only suggestion when using this recipe would be to add the 1/2 cup of water that the recipe calls for. When I mixed mine together, the consistency was similar to barbecue sauce, which I thought would be best. However, since you are using this to baste for an hour, you need something a little thinner. Next time, I am going to mix up some extra sauce for serving. I can't help it....I'm a dipper!

ENJOY!

NUTRITION FACTS (per serving): 274 calories;  9g fat;  22g carbohydrate;  25.5g protein;  3g fiber