Dinner Planner - Family Meal Planner with Grocery Shopping List

  • Home
  • Weekly Meal Planner
  • Best Family Recipes
  • FREE PRINTABLES
  • ALL RECIPES
    • Cheap & Easy Meals
  • Salads

Basic Homemade Meatloaf Recipe

March 2, 2017 by Marla Vee

We would LOVE IT SO MUCH if You Would Share our Stuff!

  • Share This!
  • Tweet This!

homemade meatloaf

The Best Homemade Meatloaf Recipe

Hands down, our favorite meatloaf recipe is just a basic traditional recipe handed down from our Grandmother. We do love to try different meatloaf recipes, some with mushrooms and some with cheese, but our favorite meatloaf recipe is still the one with this delicious glaze of sauce on top of the cooked ground beef mixture.

It’s all in the glazing and it’s delicious!

This is a quick put-together meatloaf recipe, but the taste is always just amazingly delicious!

Growing up in Pittsburgh, PA, there was always plenty of Heinz ketchup in the house and it seemed like we ate it on just about everything.

Ketchup, cider vinegar and brown sugar was our standard and beloved BBQ sauce that went on top of meatloaf, basted chicken, and made the best darn CHIPPED HAM BBQ’s!

Follow along this simple meatloaf recipe for some of the best meatloaf you’ve ever had.

Meatloaf Ingredients:

  • Ground Beef – we use extra lean
  • Onions – yellow onions (dice them very fine)
  • Milk – whole milk
  • White bread – use a soft bread
  • Egg
  • Worcestershire
  • Ketchup
  • Salt & Pepper
0 from 0 votes
Print
Basic Meatloaf Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
1 hr 10 mins
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
 

Everyone  in the family will love this scrumptious meatloaf - made with a basic recipe to please everyone.

Course: Easy Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Homemade Meatloaf Recipe
Servings: 6
Calories: 378 kcal
Author: Marla Vee
Ingredients
Meatloaf Ingredients
  • 1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
  • 1 slice white bread, torn into tiny pieces
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire
  • 1/4 cup ketchup
MEAT LOAF GLAZE
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F
  2. Combine the breadcrumbs with the milk.
  3. Combine all meat loaf ingredients including the breadcrumbs in the milk and place into a meat loaf pan.
  4. Flatten out the top of the meatloaf with your hands.
  5. Combine the sauce ingredients and pour on top of meatloaf.
  6. Bake at 350°F about 1 hour to 1-1/4 hours or until cooked through..
Nutrition Facts
Basic Meatloaf Recipe
Amount Per Serving (6 g)
Calories 378 Calories from Fat 216
% Daily Value*
Fat 24g37%
Saturated Fat 9g56%
Cholesterol 113mg38%
Sodium 778mg34%
Potassium 463mg13%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Sugar 12g13%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 230IU5%
Vitamin C 2.1mg3%
Calcium 68mg7%
Iron 2.6mg14%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.




 

How to Make Basic Meatloaf –

  • Combine bread pieces and milk.
  • Gently mix together all meatloaf ingredients.
  • Line a cookie sheet with foil and place the meat on the center. Form into a meatloaf shape using your hand. Try to make the top a little flatter so it holds the glaze well.
  • Mix together glaze ingredients and spread on top of meatloaf.
  • Bake in a meatloaf pan for 1-1/4 hours at 350 degrees.

For a juicy meatloaf, you don’t always have to use extra lean ground beef.  Using a beef with a little more fat will really enhance the meatloaf flavor. Lean ground beef works just fine.

Try and chop the onions fine. A food processor works really well for this job.  You don’t want big chunks of onion in your meatloaf. Always be extra gentle when mixing a meatloaf.  The meat does not like to be “squished.”

Sometimes Grandma would use a basic saltine cracker, but in this recipe we definitely like the slices of bread soaked in milk.

Try our Basic Homemade Meatloaf Recipe for a delicious dinner and we promise you won’t be disappointed!

meatloaf glaze

Hints and Tips to a Better Basic Meatloaf Experience:

  • Don’t be tempted to mix the meatloaf mixture too much. If you over mix the ground beef this will result in a tougher and drier meat loaf.
  • Form your meatloaf shape by hand on a cookie sheet lined with foil. The meat loaf form will keep even during cooking and the sides will be nicely browned.
  • Let the meatloaf sit quietly for about 10-15 minutes after you take it from the oven and it will be much easier to slice.
  • Soaking the bread or breadcrumbs in milk before using will make a juicer meatloaf.
  • For safety reasons, always make sure your meat is cooked through.

Make a common glaze using ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar. Heat ingredients gently to combine flavors before glazing the meatloaf.

How to Make Meatloaf  Glaze

meatloaf glaze

How to Make Meatloaf  Glaze

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • dash of salt

Mix everything together and glaze your meatloaf.

What to Serve with Meatloaf

We love serving mashed potatoes because it’s two comfort foods on one plate.  How to make the best mashed potatoes. Serve cheesy potatoes or garlic mashed potatoes.
Whole green beans go well with meatloaf or our really tasty Baked Lima Beans.
A heathy tossed salad is always a good option as goes great with meatloaf. Go low carb and serve a salad! What to put on your healthy salad.
Baked potatoes and a tossed salad

What to do with Leftover Meatloaf?

We like to make meatloaf sandwiches. Just reheat the sliced meatloaf in the microwave.

How Long Does Meatloaf Last in the Refrigerator

Meatloaf will last in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Make sure to store in an airtight container.

How to Freeze Meatloaf

Let meatloaf cool before freezing. Slice meatloaf into individual serving pieces and place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container,  freeze safely for about 2-3 months.

How to Reheat Meatloaf

How Do you Keep Meatloaf from Falling Apart?

The binding ingredients of eggs and dried bread crumbs helps to keep the meatloaf from falling apart after it’s had a chance to cool. If you enjoy your meatloaf a little firmer, add a touch more of bread crumbs.

Do you Cook Meatloaf Covered with Foil or Uncovered?

We always cook the meatloaf uncovered to give the outer part of the meatloaf a nice crust, yet keeping the insides nice and juicy.

Place your meatloaf slices on a microwave-safe plate.  Cover the plate with a damp paper towel. This always helps to keep food moist. Cook for about 1 minute or until hot. If the meatloaf was frozen, let unthaw in the refrigerator for a few hours before heating.

What if we don’t Like Onions?

If you don’t like onions in your meat loaf it is fine to leave them out. Add in a touch of onion powder mixed with a little garlic powder.  You could also try dicing the onions very fine so they don’t leave chunks, or put them in your mini processor and lightly pulse.

What’s the Difference Between Meatloaf and Meatballs?

The difference between meatloaf and our beloved meatball is size!   We form individual smaller shapes that don’t need cooked as long, but the basic idea and mixture is the same.

You will Love Some of Our Other Recipes

Mini Meatloaf Recipe
Healthy Chicken Meatballs 
Spaghetti Sauce with Ground Beef
How to Make Meatballs for A Crowd

You Will Love these Recipes:

Slow Cooker Mexican Shredded Chicken
Easy Cornmeal Coated Chicken Recipe
Beef Kabobs with Brown Sugar and Curry Marinade
Easy Shrimp Tacos
Easy Lemon Chicken Piccata
Cream Chipped Beef
Easy Crockpot Beef Stroganoff
Spaghetti Bolognaise

Filed Under: What's for Dinner

GRAB YOUR FREE MEAL PLANS!

free meal plans

TOPICS/CATEGORIES

  • Cheap & Easy Meals
  • Healthy Dinners
  • HEALTHY LIVING
  • Healthy Sides
  • Holiday Dishes
  • INSTANT POT RECIPES
  • One-Pot Wonders
  • Product Reviews
  • SALADS
  • Sally's Hobby Farm
  • Savory Soups & Stews
  • THIS & THAT
  • What's for Dinner
  • What's For Lunch/Breakfast
  • YUMMY BAKING

FREE MEAL PLANNING DOWNLOAD!

Quick Links

  • DELICIOUS DINNER RECIPES
  • BEST PASTA RECIPES
  • FAVORITE EGG RECIPES
  • Dirt Cheap Meals
  • INSTANT POT RECIPES
  • Helpful Articles
  • Cooking Basics for Beginners
  • Healthier You!
  • Coffee Break
  • Privacy Policy Notice
  • CONTACT US

What’s New at DinnerPlanner.com!

  • Delicious and Crunchy Apple Celery Salad Recipe
  • Scrambled Eggs on Toast
  • Pasta Salad Recipe Made With Spaghetti Noodles
  • One Pot Turkey Tetrazzini Recipe
  • Southwestern Beef and Rice Skillet
  • Easy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe with Cream of Chicken Soup
  • Creamy Tomato Pasta Salad with Bacon
  • Delicious Chicken and Corn Soup Recipe
  • One Skillet Beef Taco
  • Mac and Cheese in the Cast Iron Skillet

Dinner Planner  – Family Meal Planner For Busy Families!  Family meal plans complete with dinner recipes and  shopping list. Never run out of dinner ideas again! 

Follow @DinnerPlanner

DinnerPlanner.com

Your favorite family meal planner with dinner menus, recipes and printable shopping list!