Brown Box Crackers: Mini Meat Loaves With Brown Beer Gravy

I love comfort food, especially when it makes leftovers that taste better the day after.  Meatloaf is one of those comfort foods and I like mine with rich, brown gravy...not with that tomato-y, ketchup-y topping some folks use.  I want mine with rice and some kind of fresh vegatable to make it a heathly thing.  Thank you, Mom, for putting me on the right path to meatloaf.

Since I have the Brown Box Cracker gig going on, what could be a better filler.  Yeppers, spicy crackers will do it and do it well.  And why not try some brown beer in that brown gravy?

B.B.C. Mini Meat Loaves With Brown Beer Gravy

Mini Meat Loaves
Ingredients
1 Lbs    Lean Hamburger
2    *Onion (Medium, Of Choice, Peeled)
1    *Jalapeno (or more to taste)
3    *Clove Garlic (or more to taste)
1    Egg, large
½ Tsp Black Pepper (or more to taste)
½ Tsp Salt (or more to taste)
1/2 C     Worchestershire sauce
2 C    Brown Box Cracker Crumbs

Preheat oven to 350º.

Chop onion, jalapeno and garlic to fine or *process in blender, food processor adding just enough water to form a paste.  We likes the paste method as it seems to really flavor the loafs and we don’t like veggie chunks in our loaves.

Combine all ingredients except for the BBC Crumbs by squeezing though fingers.  Once the ingredients are mixed well, add the crackers and mix them through.
Helpful Hint: Keep surgical gloves on hand just for this.  You can purchase them at Walmart, Sam’s or local drug store.  We prefer the powder-free.  You will find MANY uses for these handy disposable gloves in the kitchen and in the home.

Divide burger mixture into four (4) equal portions and form into loaves.  Place in casserole or large, heavy oven-proofing frying pan (the later is excellent for getting all the “good stuff” for the gravy, we use our 12" Calphalon skillet).

Bake approximately 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

Brown Beer Gravy

Ingredients
3 Tbs    Drippings or vegetable or canola oil

½ C      White Flour
1 C       Dark Beer (Shiner Bock is excellent)
1 C       Beef Broth or water
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat drippings/oil to bubbling.  Add flour and whisk/stir constantly to a bubbling caramel rue.  Add beer and liquid continuing to whisk/stir constantly.  The rue will smooth and thicken.  Add more liquid if necessary.

Serves 4 - 6

Serving Suggestion:
Slice mini meatloafs and top onto a mound of white or brown rice, cover in gravy with a side of fresh sliced tomato.