New Mexican Meatloaf with a Spicy-Sweet Pepper Glaze

Looking through my recipes it's easy to tell that we love, love spicy food around here.  There are few dishes that couldn't be made at least a touch better with some hot peppers.  We went to New Mexico last fall, and while we had fun visiting museums and Carlsbad Caverns, the food was a huge highlight of the trip.  From small hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants in Roswell to the dining at the La Fonda in Santa Fe, nearly everything we ate was fantastic.  This reminds me of some of the more modern and urban takes on classic dishes we tried in Santa Fe.

I love classic American dishes reinvented with a bit of Southwestern flair, like green chile biscuits and gravy, chipotle potato salad, etc. With its spicy glaze made with a colorful pepper jelly and homey ground beef, onions, and chili powder, this meatloaf is comfort food with a nice twist.  It's also my June entry for the Food of the Month Club hosted by La Cocina de Leslie.

•2 pounds lean ground beef

•1 medium onion, finely minced

•1 small green pepper, finely minced

•1-2 jalapeños, minced

•2 cloves garlic, minced

•1 14-16 oz can diced tomatoes, undrained

•2 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs

•1 egg

•1 Tablespoon chili powder

•1 Tablespoon cumin

•1/2 teaspoon oregano

•salt, and a generous amount of pepper, to taste

For the Glaze:

•1/3 cup pepper jelly (I used Habanero Gold, from Ball- not listed on the Ball site, but this is the same exact recipe)

•1/3 cup of ketchup

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix together the ground beef, onion, green pepper, jalapeño, garlic, tomatoes, egg, bread crumbs, and spices until everything is well incorporated.



Form into a loaf shape and place in a greased baking dish larger than the loaf.  You want the excess fat to drain away from the meatloaf instead of pooling on top.



Bake for one hour.

Mix the pepper jelly and ketchup together in a small bowl.  Spoon over the top of the meatloaf.  Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes.  Let cool for about 10 minutes before serving.