The Recipe Behind Miranda Lambert's Engagements (Both of Them)

As a Southerner, meatloaf was a staple in my household. The hearty and filling dish was one that my mom would make for a weeknight dish or Sunday dinner. No matter when she made it though, one thing would remain true — you'd be full and satisfied once you were done. And even today, I get excited when my mom calls and tells me to come by and pick up some of the meatloaf she's made. It's truly one of my favorites.

Unfortunately, my mom doesn't make her meatloaf often and for those days that I feel like I want a taste of my childhood, I need my own recipe that I can make at the drop of a dime. So, when I came across the recipe that everyone claims is one of the best from Miranda Lambert's mom, I felt like it wouldn't hurt for me to give it a try.

Known as Bev's Famous Meatloaf, this recipe felt like the right one to try because just like me, Miranda seems to really love her mom's meatloaf. And there must be something special about a recipe with the word "famous" in its title, right? The classic comfort recipe is also rumored to be the key to multiple engagements, including the ones that led to Lambert's marriage to Blake Shelton and her current husband, Brendan McLoughlin.

In addition to all of that, it also looked really delicious and seemed easy to make, so I wrote down the ingredients I needed and headed to the store. Here's how it went when I made it in my own kitchen.

Get the recipe: Bev’s Famous Meatloaf

Ingredients for Bev’s Famous Meatloaf

You’ll need lean ground beef, ground pork sausage, crushed saltine crackers, diced green bell peppers, a finely chopped onion, large eggs, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard, brown sugar and—of course—ketchup. Flour, salt and black pepper will also be needed for your gravy.

How to Make Bev’s Famous Meatloaf

Preheat your oven to 350°F. While your oven is preheating, combine the ground beef, pork sausage, saltine crackers, bell pepper, onions, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, yellow mustard and ¼ cup of brown sugar in a medium bowl. Mix well until evenly blended and the place mixture in a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish, shaping the mixture into a 10 x 5-inch loaf. Bake the loaf for an hour, removing once done and draining the juices into a separate bowl. Set aside.

Stir together the ketchup and the remaining brown sugar. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons for the gravy and pour the rest over the meatloaf. Stick the meatloaf back in the over and bake until the thickest portion reaches 160°F, which will take about 15 minutes.

While your meatloaf is cooking, pour the juices you drained from the meatloaf into a small saucepan, and heat them up. Add your flour and stir until it thickens. Then, add 1 1/2 cups hot water to your reserved glaze before adding it to the saucepan. Cook until it bubbles, remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Once your meatloaf is done cooking, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing and serving with your favorite sides.

Related: Dreaming of an Engagement? You’ll Want To Make Miranda Lambert’s ‘Catch-a-Man’ Meatloaf Recipe ASAP

What I Thought of Bev’s Famous Meatloaf

When I first saw the recipe for Bev’s Famous Meatloaf, I wondered if the name actually lived up to the hype. Well, I'm here to proudly tell you that this recipe is famous for very good reason. I'm very particular when it comes to certain dishes and meatloaf is definitely one of those dishes. Growing up, I thought meatloaf could only be good if my mother was making it and that was proved to be correct after tasting anyone else's. After trying Bev’s Meatloaf, however, I have a new recipe to add in the notch under my belt for the weekdays.

The sweet and savory flavors meshed together so well and I love how moist the meatloaf was once it was done. It was literally perfection in every bite, and you'd be hard-pressed to hear me say something like that. Even with there not being many seasonings thrown in the mix up, this meatloaf did not miss a beat when it came to flavor. And honestly, I couldn't believe it was that good. So good that I can't think of one thing I would change about it. I paired it with some homemade garlic mashed potatoes and broccolini and it was absolutely delicious.

So the real question? Is it really marriage-worthy? Well, to be honest, if someone made this for me more than once, it just might push me closer to dropping down on one knee. After all, they do say the way to someone's heart is through their stomach and this recipe is one way to prove that notion.

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