Meat Loaf Recipe

1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1 1/2 cups scalded milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 cups Ritz or similar crackers, crushed
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 10 1/2-ounce can cream of tomato soup
1 10 1/2-ounce soup can water

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. With hands, mix all ingredients in a bowl, except soup and water. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Form meat mixture into a loaf and put in dish. Heat soup and water to boiling in a saucepan. Pour over meat loaf. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees, then 1 1/2 hours at 350 degrees. Baste meat loaf three times during baking time. Serves 8 to 10.

Tips From Our Test Kitchen: After mixing ingredients and before forming into a loaf, let it stand for a few minutes to help crackers absorb some of the liquid, or reduce the milk in the recipe to less than one cup.