Smoked Meatloaf - cooking recipe

Ingredients

two pounds lean ground beef
one pound fresh Italian sausage (medium or hot)
one cup kansas city style barbecue sauce
one cup rolled oats
two large egg
one large green pepper, finely chopped
one large onion, finely chopped
one tablespoon olive oil
one teaspoon chopped garlic
one teaspoon salt
one-half teaspoon black pepper
one-quarter teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Preparation

The temperature needs to be right at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for meatloaf. When smoking ground meat recipes, the internal temperature needs to rise above the danger zone as quickly as possible.
Saute the chopped green pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Spoon the veggies out of the frying pan, and combine with the rest of the ingredients, mixing thoroughly.
Form the ground meat mixture into one large loaf, or several smaller loaves. I usually divide the smoked meatloaf recipe into four smaller loaves. They cook quicker, and they make nice looking leftovers.
Place the loaf/loaves into a shallow baking pan, and pop it into the smoker. Use your favorite wood for smoke. When the internal meatloaf temperature reaches 160F, it's done. Smaller loaves may be done in as little as two hours. A large loaf may take 3 to 4 hours.
If you like, you can top the smoking meatloaf with ketchup or barbecue sauce one-half hour before removing it from the smoker. I like barbecue sauce, myself.
Give the meatloaf at least fifteen minutes to rest before serving so it firms up a little.