The BEST ever Meatloaf

Last night was such a foodie festival around our dinner table. Thank goodness my boys are great eaters. I made a meatloaf. I haven’t made one in years, but a beloved customer and friend, Pam, sent our family her freshly baked pumpkin bread as a special gift! The arrival of Pam's pumpkin bread triggered me to make the meatloaf in celebration of fall, comfort foods. Here’s the recipe, which is a bit of a process, but worth every bite:

Ingredients:
- 1lb ground beef
- 1lb ground veal
- 1lb ground pork
- 1 large apple, cubed
- 1 small butternut squash, cubed
- 4 eggs
- 6 slices of white bread, cubed
- 1 large red onion, sliced thin
- ½ cup bacon fat (hopefully, you reserve the fat whenever you make bacon)
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 heaping tablespoons LOVIN’ MY PUMPKIN sugar
- 2 teaspoons SUGA’ N SPICE salt
- 1 teaspoon MOUTH FULL OF MAGIC salt
- ¼ cup sour cream

Directions:
- Start by sautéing the onion slices in the bacon fat with the cup of brown sugar on medium heat, until the onions are softened. Be sure to stir often and make sure the onions don’t burn or become blackened. Lower the heat if you notice this happening.
- In a separate pot, add butternut squash & apple cubes with 1/3 cup of water, cover and steam until cubes are super softened. It should take about 15 minutes depending on the size of your cubes. The apples will soften faster, and this is perfectly ok! Add LOVIN' MY PUMPKIN sugar and mix well. 
- In a large mixing bowl add your ground meats, bread cubes, eggs, sour cream, the entire onion sauté mixture, the steamed squash & apples, SUGA' N SPICE & MOUTH FULL OF MAGIC. Mix and mash until well blended. If you notice the meat mixture being too loose, add more bread cubes.
- On a baking pan, form the meat mixture into a loaf.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 155-160° F. Some ovens run hotter than others, so always use your best judgement.
- I finished my meatloaf with sliced cheese melted over the top and it was a home run!

Thank you, Pam, for your amazing Pumpkin Bread!! We enjoyed it for dessert after this incredible fall feast.