Easy Smoked Meat Loaf

Recipe Provided by John Head of the Barbecue Cooking School-- http://www.bbqcookingschool.com/

This recipe is one I developed years ago and taught my son-in-law to make it as well. It makes a terrific entrée with fruit salad, veggies and mashed spuds as well as the ultimate hot or cold sandwich with lettuce, tomato and mayo. And it is incredibly easy to make.

Kroger’s (King Soopers and City Markets as well) all sell a 3-pound chub (plastic tube) of meat loaf mix that is ideal for this recipe. You can find it in the frozen meat section or ask the butcher. In fact, this meat loaf mix is nearly identical to what my mother used to make from scratch and was a real family favorite. If you don’t have any of those stores nearby, find a good, everyday meatloaf mix online and make 3 pounds of it, shaping it into a long, rounded loaf.

Smoke the meat at 225F for four hours using hickory or fruitwood such as apple, cherry, peach or whatever you like. (BIG TIP: The soft, raw meat loaf will try to fall through your cooking grid so make a narrow aluminum foil boat and place it under the meat loaf for the first 60-90 minutes. Once it sets up, you can remove the foil to allow for more even smoking and cooking.)

After four hours, slather the meat loaf with your favorite BBQ sauce and continue to cook for another hour. You may omit the sauce, but continue to cook the meat until the internal temperature is at least 165F.

Let it rest for 10 minutes and then slice into hamburger-size discs. Serve as an entrée with sauce and side dishes or on burger buns with the usual array of condiments. Enjoy.