Meatloafburger In Paradise

While this was baking away in my oven, I was washing up some dishes and boiling my potatoes.  And I was thinking.  Thinking of when my Step-Dad used to make this one for us when I was a little girl.  A little girl, who hated meatloaf.  Until, that is, that I had his.  How I could remember coming in from school to the sound of the hand-held mixer going and the aroma of this wafting through the door to greet me.  I had learned to love meatloaf.  But not just any one's meatloaf, only my Step-Dad, Mike's, meatloaf.  Otherwise, no way and no thank you.  Like it's not even gonna happen.  But, I will eat his meatloaf any day of the week.  Maybe it is because I grew up on it and we were to eat what we were given.  There wasn't much to go around and everything was stretched as far as it would go. Or maybe, just maybe, because it was good back then.  Just as it is still good now.  Just plain and simple good.

1 1/4 lbs. of 80/20 ground beef
1 small yellow onion (chopped)
sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 shakes of lite soy sauce
3-4 T. of BBQ sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray's)
1 T. of steak sauce (I used A.1.)
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 a cup of plain bread crumbs
3 slices of American cheese

-Preheat your oven to 350*.  In a large mixing bowl, using your hands, knead to thoroughly combine all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the cheese slices.  Once it is good and mixed, place it into a loaf pan.  Shape it into a loaf, keeping it away from the edges (this way the grease can separate from it and be easily poured out).  Go ahead and do a big healthy smear of some extra BBQ sauce all across the top and down the sides.  Bake on the center rack of your oven at 350* for 1 hour.  Carefully remove it from the oven, using a spatula to hold the loaf in, pour out the grease (I save old pickle/ jam jars just for this stuff).  Once the grease has been discarded, using your spatula again, lift the loaf up and then flip it onto it's side while still in the loaf pan.  With a serrated knife, cut the loaf in half lengthwise (so you are cutting off the top).  Then use your spatula again to lift up the top half, wiggle your loaf pan around to let the bottom half fall back in place, layer the cheese slices over it and then replace the top half back on top (basically you are making a stuffed meatloaf here).  Place it back into the oven for about 3-5 more minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing.  Serves 4.  Enjoy!