Italian Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze

     There are very few dishes I make time and time again.  I usually change recipes each time I make them. Sometimes, I only make small changes, and sometimes I change it up completely. But, I only make one kind of meatloaf. It's just that good. I probably like this meatloaf so much because of the Italian flavors, but it is also moist and delicious. Nothing is worse than dry, hard, bland meatloaf. Gross! This is none of those things. It's so flavorful and it literally falls apart on your plate. It was hard to get an actual 'slice' of meatloaf for the pictures. MMMmmm!
     I got this recipe out of my favorite cookbook, The Best of Cooking Light. Surprisingly, I follow the recipe almost exactly. The only thing I change is the topping. They use plain ketchup and ,of course, that just doesn't work for me. So, I decided to add a balsamic glaze and some cayenne pepper to the ketchup. Perfect! I served this with mashed potatoes and roasted carrots.

Italian Meatloaf with Balsamic Glaze
 Adapted from Cooking Light

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup breadcrumbs (of course I use panko)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped basil
1/2 cup shredded provolone
2 large egg whites
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use more :)
1lb ground beef
cooking spray
1/3 cup ketchup
3 Tbsp balsamic glaze
pinch cayenne pepper

Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl, let stand about 30 minutes until soft. Drain and chop.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine tomatoes, 1/2 cup ketchup and next 7 ingredients. Shape into a loaf and place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray.
Stir together 1/3 cup ketchup, balsamic glaze, and cayenne pepper. Spread over top of meatloaf.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until temperature reaches 160 degrees. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.


Enjoy!!