Ohhhh, this Cheesy Brown Sugar Steakhouse Meatloaf with Garlic, Mustard & Horseradish was one of the BEST meatloaves I’ve ever made! Along with a melty layer of provolone cheese on top, this gorgeous hunk also gets a final crowning of deep golden-browned, caramelized onions, too!! So how good does THAT sound?!! Well, I can tell you that it tasted even BETTER than it sounds! Though my go-to one is FAR from dry, the hubs and I couldn’t get over how juicy this one was!! A mere 1/4 of a cup of a secret, simple ingredient made all the difference! Truly all-around fantastic! You’re in for one kick ass meatloaf, that’s for sure. One of the very best I’ve ever tasted!

Our favorite meatloaf, is my stand-by Farmhouse Meatloaf, and is also a favorite of some of my friends and relatives, too. So I’m always a bit reluctant to veer away from something that is loved and expected. But I admit, I get bored with the same-old-same-old easily. Though I personally love my traditional one too, I do love to cut loose and play with my food every chance I get! So when staring down a package of extra-lean hamburger…I decided it was time to have a little fun and create a new meatloaf!

The pressure was ON, because the hubs was already excited over being told that “meatloaf” was being made for supper, and he loves my traditional one. Aaaaand, I didn’t exactly tell him what kind of meatloaf I was making. So, I sure didn’t want to disappoint and let him down. Not to mention, ground beef has become ridiculously expensive, so I also didn’t want to spend time making it and have it turn out to be a costly waste, either!

Luckily, it turned out amazing. And I mean ah-MAY-zing!! BAZINGA!!! Perfect for a Sunday dinner!! And oooohhh, the leftovers!!! BEST leftover meatloaf sandwiches. EVER. Not kidding!

Sometimes I think my hubby requests that I make a meatloaf
just for the sandwiches the next day!!

I don’t even know which way I liked it better. The first night, hot, as part of a full dinner. Or the next day, room temp, between two soft slices of good ol’ white sandwich bread! And even the next day, not even heated, this meatloaf was STILL juicy!! What a sandwich!!!

So if you’re looking for a killer good meatloaf that the entire family will love…you probably better make TWO of these.

Yep. Two.

One for dinner, and the second one for the leftover sandwiches!  

So what’s the secret ingredient? Just a little bit of mayonnaise! 😉
Hope you enjoy!!

Yield: 6 - 8 servings

Brown Sugar Steakhouse Meatloaf

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Ingredients

For Bottom of Pan:

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard

For Meatloaf Mixture:

• 2 lbs. extra lean ground beef
• 1 packet dry onion soup and dip mix such as Lipton's Recipe Secrets
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1/3 cup steak sauce such as A1 Original
• 1/4 cup heavy mayo
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 Tbl. jarred extra hot horseradish
• 1/2 Tbl. spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

For Top:

• 1 more Tbl. steak sauce for top mixed with 1/2 tsp. dark brown sugar
• a sprinkling of coarse ground pepper
• 4 slices swiss or provolone cheese

For Caramelized Onions:

• 1/2 stick butter, (4 Tbl.)
• 2 large regular onions (or 1 giant sweet Vidalia onion), sliced
• 1 tsp. dark brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp. each salt & coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In small bowl, stir together the dark brown sugar and mustard. Spray a 1 1/2 quart baking dish, and spoon sauce onto bottom of dish.

In a large bowl, add ground beef breaking up. Evenly add soup mix sprinkling over meat in increments and tossing to distribute throughout evenly. Add rest of ingredients, and fold in until well combined and evenly distributed. The best way to do this is with your hands. Shape into a loaf and place into prepared casserole dish. Reshape as needed smoothing top and sides of any cracks. Sprinkle top with a little more pepper. Spread top with the A-1 mixed with the brown sugar.

Bake in a 350º oven for 1 hour and 5 - 10 minutes.

Remove from oven, top with cheese slices and caramelized onions, and bake 5 - 10 minutes longer.

Let rest for 15 minutes. Remove carefully with large spatulas to a serving plate. Slice and serve.

For Caramelized Onions:

While meatloaf is baking, add butter to a large frying pan, add onions, dark brown sugar, salt and pepper. Sauté over low heat until deep golden brown, about 20 - 30 minutes.