Take your favorite meatloaf recipe up a notch by adding just a touch of grilled smoke flavor. Don’t worry; you don’t have to own a fancy smoker. Fill a disposable pie pan with wood chips that have been soaked for 30 minutes then drained. Place wood chips next to the meatloaf and grill.  You will love the flavor.

Grilled Meatloaf with Tangy Ketchup Sauce– 6 servings

1 and 1/4 pounds ground chuck
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup chopped onion, 1/4 inch dice
1/4 cup chopped green pepper, 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
1 egg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Tangy Ketchup Sauce- Recipe below

In a skillet over medium high heat with a teaspoon of canola oil; cook green pepper and onion until softened.  Mix all meatloaf ingredients together but ground chuck. Tear off Ping-Pong ball size pieces of ground chuck and mix with other ingredients with a fork until combined. Shape meatloaf into a one inch high rectangle in a disposable 12 X 8 inch aluminum pan. It won’t completely fill the pan. Make tangy ketchup sauce, pour on top of meatloaf, and spread over the top. Preheat grill to 350ºF. Place meatloaf in aluminum pan on grill grate. Next to meatloaf place the pie pan with soaked and drained wood chips.  I used wood apple chips but  hickory would also work!
Grill meatloaf  for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Enjoy Friends!

Tangy Ketchup Sauce

1/2 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup tomato sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Mix all ingredients. Spoon sauce on top of meatloaf.

Published in The News and Neighbor on October 8, 2014