Basic Homemade Meatloaf Recipe

Hands down, my favorite meatloaf recipe is just a basic traditional recipe handed down from my Grandmother. I do love to try different meatloaf recipes, some with mushrooms and some with cheese, but my favorite 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 ham BBQ’s!

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

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Basic Meatloaf Recipe

Author: Marla Vee

Ingredients

1 1 ⁄2 lbs. ground beef
1 slice white bread torn into tiny pieces
1 ⁄2 cup milk
1 egg
1 small onion finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 ⁄4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup ketchup
Meatloaf Topping:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 ⁄2 cup ketchup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F
Combine the breadcrumbs with the milk.
Combine all meat loaf ingredients including the breadcrumbs in the milk and place into a meat loaf pan.
Flatten out the top of the meatloaf with your hands.
Combine the sauce ingredients and pour on top of meatloaf.
Bake at 350°F about 1 hour to 1-1/4 hours or until cooked through..

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.

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!

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.
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.

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

Meatloaf Amazing Glaze