My husband would eat this picture if he could.

Meatloaf is one of my husband’s top 10 favorite meals. I’ve never made one that he didn’t wolf down within two days. Luckily he’s not too picky, as long as it contains lots of Worcestershire and ketchup. I’ve even made a few off the cuff without recipes to lean on, which is unusual. He doesn’t bat an eye. Even if they fall apart and he has to eat the hamburger with a fork, it’s like a dream come true: permission to eat simple forkfuls of ground beef and salt.
This recipe, with reduced fat and calories, looks promising, and allows for generous portions. I’d probably split it into two loaves and cooked it for just half an hour, but there’s something alluring about one big loaf. You could also form the mixture into 24 balls and cook them in muffin tins for adorable, portable yumminess.
MAMAW’S MEANER & LEANER MEATLOAF
2 pounds 93 percent lean ground beef
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bay leaf
1 medium red pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs (whole wheat if you can find it)
1 cup reduced-sugar ketchup, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Cooking spray
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a baking sheet with lightly sprayed parchment paper.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and add onions, garlic and bay leaf. Saute until tender, or about 3 minutes. Add red pepper and saute another 5 minutes. Add parsley and thyme and saute another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let mixture cool, then pick out the bay leaf and toss.
3. In a large bowl, mix beef, egg whites, breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup reduced-sugar ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and cooled onion mixture. Using your hands, mix ingredients lightly.
4. Transfer the mixture from the bowl to the center of the parchment-lined baking sheet and form into a loaf. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup ketchup across the loaf and bake for about an hour or until firm. Let cool and set for 5 to 8 minutes before slicing to serve.
Note: Depending on the shape of your loaf, you may require more ketchup for topping.
Serves 7
– “Eating Light, Done Right,” by Tania N. Boughton
Per serving: 425 calories, 3.2 grams fat, 96 milligrams cholesterol, 968 sodium, 11 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 22 grams protein