Cranberry & Chili Sauce Meatloaf

This was the first time I had ever tried this, but I had seen several recipes for a sauce or glaze of cranberries and chili sauce used with beef or pork, or a combination of the two. If you like "heat," you can add more cayenne pepper, but if you don't like "heat," unless you have super hot cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon won't bother you, but it adds just a little spiciness.

Ingredients:

For the meatloaf:
1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
1 package (12 to 16 ounces) ground pork sausage (sage type)
3 slices stale/dried white bread, torn or cut into small pieces (lightly toasted sandwich bread is fine)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 eggs
2 tablespoons dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried savory
3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

For the sauce:
1  14 ounce can whole cranberry sauce
1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce 
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar (light or dark)
1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, to your taste 
2 tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tablespoons water

Begin heating oven to 350 F. For the meatloaf: In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients. Mix well by hand, kneading the mixture to make sure the ingredients are dispersed throughout. Form into a loaf and put into a baking pan or casserole with a lid or foil. Make sure there is room for the juices as the meatloaf bakes. Bake at 350 F for 1 hour 45 minutes, uncover. Carefully pour off as much of the juice as is safely possible,* but leaving a little of the liquid will help to keep the sauce from burning. Smear the cranberry/chili sauce over the meatloaf, keeping some of the sauce to spoon over the meatloaf as it bakes further. It's okay for some of the cranberry mixture to fall or run into the pan/baking dish with the little amount of juice left in the pan. Bake uncovered another 35 to 45 minutes. Check every 10 minutes.

As the meatloaf bakes, mix together all of the ingredients for the sauce in a sauce pan, except the cornstarch/water. Bring to a simmer over medium low heat. Mix the cornstarch and water well. With the sauce bubbling lightly, drizzle in some of the cornstarch/water mixture, stirring constantly. Continue gradually adding the cornstarch until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat. The sauce will thicken even more as it cools.  

* I used the juice over the mashed potatoes, but I first separated out the fat.   

A nice end piece of the meatloaf, with mashed potatoes, cottage cheese and corn ...

WORD HISTORY:
Cranberry-This word was borrowed from the Low German compound "Kraanbere/Kraanbeere" circa 1650. Low German "Kraan" is closely related to English "crane." "Supposedly" some believed the plant to resemble the bird, a crane. Another possibility is, cranberries often grow in and around marshy areas, where cranes live; thus, the possible association. For its history, see the "Word History" at this link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2016/01/homemade-liverwurst.html
Of course, Low German and German "Bere/Beere" are close cousins to English "berry." For the history of "berry," here is that link: http://pontificating-randy.blogspot.com/2008/10/finance-basics-part-three.html