Being South African, I never grew up with meatloaf.  During my years at an American boarding school and college, I actually didn't like meatloaf.  It was dense and dry and didn't have too much flavor.  When I had my daughters, one of my friends told me that he son loved meatloaf.  I decided to give it a try and adapted the recipe to my liking.  This recipe soon became the family favorite meatloaf.  It is tasty with the addition of cheese, Sammy Wong's all purpose seasoning and liquid smoke.  These ingredients bring out the flavor and adds a hint of smokiness to the meat. Sammy Wong's Kitchen's ORGANIC all-purpose seasoning can now be purchased online.

This meatloaf is also very healthy.  It's made with a combination of ground turkey and chicken.  However, whatever your preferred ground meat can be used. Instead of bread, I've substituted bulghur wheat to make it moist and less dense.  I've also added grated onions and carrots for sweetness as well as to make the meat loaf less dense.  The lightness of the meatloaf makes the dish more juicy. 

Tips to making Family favorite meatloaf

Meatloaf pan

The best thing you can do for your family is buy a meatloaf pan.  This pan comes with an insert that allows the excess fat to drain out of the holes at the bottom of the insert so that the fat doesn't end up in your body, making it healthier for you.  You can use the loaf pan for baking, but I LOVE the meatloaf insert.

Bulghur wheat

I like eating bughur wheat as a healthier option to rice.  It is also great at absorbing liquids which makes it a great choice to use instead of bread.  The bulghur wheat also provides a nutty texture which works well in the meatloaf.  Medium or coarse grain bulghur wheat will work.

Ground meat

Beef, chicken or turkey can be used.  Sometimes I make a poutry meatloaf with a combination of both chicken and turkey!

Vegetables

I wouldn't be doing my job if this was not a healthy, yet tasty version of the "original". This family favorite meatloaf does have onion and carrots which brings out the sweetness of this dish.

Liquid smoke

Liquid smoke is a cheater way to infuse a smokiness into the meat without smoking.  It works well for this meatloaf.  Liquid smoke can be purchased at most grocery stores.

Worcestershire sauce

Besides the liquid smoke, the worcester sauce adds a different flavor to the meatloaf.  The worcester sauce has a complex acid flavor which rounds out the savory of the meatloaf. Worcester sauce is not commonly used in American cuisine, but is very common in British cuisine.  The addition of Sammy Wong's all purpose seasoning, the liquid smoke and the worcestershire sauce makes this meatloaf delicious!

Try it and let me know what you think in the comment section.