Best Recipe For Meatloaf Ever

It’s made with lean ground beef, a handful of seasonings, onions, and a sprinkle of breadcrumbs. Then, it’s baked in the oven with a tasty zesty topping.

This easy meatloaf recipe is a family favorite and all 4 of my kids told me it’s one of their top childhood favorites! Serve with a side of mashed potatoes or mac and cheese for the perfect comforting meal.

My favorite meatloaf topping is a flavorful zesty topping that caramelizes and gets a bit sticky to glaze the meatloaf as it bakes.

Better Than Ever Meatloaf

In this sauce for meatloaf, I use a combination of chili sauce and ketchup (just like my mom always made) and a pinch of brown sugar.

Chili sauce isnot spicy, it tastes like a very zesty ketchup with more tang and less sweetness. (Findchili saucenear the ketchup at the store). You can also make homemade chili sauce.

The 2 lb meatloaf recipe below cooks at 350°F for about 55-65 minutes or at 375°F for 45-55 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure it reaches an internal temperature of 160°F.

Best Ever Meatloaf

Kitchen TipAlways let meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before you slice it. This helps it retain its juices and ensures it doesn’t fall apart when you slice it.

If you are making half of a recipe (or increasing it) you can use the cook times below to cook at 350°F. A thermometer is the best way to ensure the meatloaf is cooked through yet perfectly tender.

Before Cooking: To freeze meatloaf before cooking, place in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap (or form a loaf on a pan). Freeze completely, seal well. Defrost raw frozen meatloaf in the refrigerator 24 hours. Bake as directed. The meatloaf will likely need an extra 15 minutes of cooking time.

Best Meatloaf Recipe, Healthy Homemade Meatloaf, Best Recipes

After Cooking: Once cooked and cooled, freeze individual slices on a parchment-lined pan. Once the slices are frozen, transfer to a freezer bag.  This makes it easy to grab one slice or several to reheat! Simply reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

Meatloaf can be prepared as directed, covered with plastic wrap, and stored in the fridge a day ahead of time before baking. Remove the meatloaf from the fridge 30 minutes before baking. If cold from the fridge, you may need to add a few minutes of cooking time.

Keep meatloaf in an airtight container in the fridge or wrap it in plastic wrap. To store in the freezer, slice the meatloaf first for easier thawing and heat it up in the oven or microwave until it’s warm and heated through.

Brown Gravy Meatloaf

Chili Sauce: Chili sauce is not spicy, it tastes like a very zesty ketchup with more tang and less sweetness. (Find chili sauce near the ketchup at the store). If you don’t have chili sauce, use extra ketchup or even a bit of BBQ sauce if you’d like.

Optional Additions: 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard or Worcestershire sauce can be added to the beef mixture. Onions can be added without cooking but may not soften as well and will have a stronger flavor.

Skip the Loaf Pan: Use a baking pan instead of a loaf pan. This gives the meatloaf a nice crust. A loaf pan causes the meat to steam, and there’s nowhere for the drippings to go. 

Cracker Barrel Meatloaf Recipe

Rest the Meatloaf: Let the meatloaf rest once it comes out of the oven to help redistribute the juices and make sure it won’t fall apart when sliced.

Calories: 262 | Carbohydrates: 17 g | Protein: 28 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Cholesterol: 112 mg | Sodium: 640 mg | Potassium: 599 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 7 g | Vitamin A: 415 IU | Vitamin C: 5.8 mg | Calcium: 73 mg | Iron: 3.7 mg

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Easy Meatloaf Recipe

Holly is a wine and cheese lover, recipe creator, shopping enthusiast and self appointed foodie. Her greatest passion is creating in the kitchen and making deliciously comforting recipes for the everyday home cook!My Easy Meatloaf is a kid-friendly classic, easy to pull together and sure to be a hit. You’ll love this sweet, savory, saucy, and perfectly seasoned baked meatloaf!

Meatloaf is a great recipe for a comfy-cozy dinner that fills you up and makes you feel good. I like it on Sunday nights, as a kind of comfort-food farewell to the weekend! But, it’s also easy enough to put together on a weeknight, if you’d prefer.

This recipe is classic, well-seasoned, saucy, perfect for a wholesome meal and delicious in sandwiches the next day! You can serve it with mashed potatoes and peas for a perfectly traditional American dinner, or check out some of my nifty serving suggestions below.

Best Ground Turkey Meatloaf

The unique thing about this recipe is that we are using barbecue sauce in place of the more standard ketchup, and boosting the flavor even more with Italian seasoning and Worcestershire sauce. These prepared ingredients come absolutely packed with flavor, and make pulling the recipe together super fast. You can use any kind of barbecue sauce that you enjoy!

This super simple recipe only needs to be mixed and baked! It’s a comforting, easy dish that’s perfect for a family meal.

I have to talk about timing when it comes to a heavier bake like meatloaf. I’ve found success with a cook time of 50 minutes, but depending on your oven, your pan and your ingredients, that time may vary. The most important thing is the temperature. Even if you have to cook the meatloaf an extra ten, twenty, or even thirty minutes, be sure it reaches 165°F.

Favorite Meatloaf Recipe With Tomato Sauce

I like to serve this comforting main course with healthy, simple sides like these. I hope you’ll try one, or more. Either way, bon appetit!

My Easy Meatloaf is a kid-friendly classic, easy to pull together and sure to be a hit. You’ll love this sweetly saucy, perfectly seasoned baked meatloaf!

Calories: 267 kcal | Carbohydrates: 23 g | Protein: 27 g | Fat: 7 g | Saturated Fat: 3 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 94 mg | Sodium: 834 mg | Potassium: 577 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 13 g | Vitamin A: 151 IU | Vitamin C: 2 mg | Calcium: 78 mg | Iron: 4 mg

The Best Meatloaf Recipe In The World!!

Hi, I’m Katerina! As a busy mom I know how hard it can be to put dinner on the table during the week. That’s why I created Easy Weeknight Recipes. I love sharing easy, creative and delicious dinner ideas your family is going to devour!And these mashed potatoes are a must! Make sure to check out my Ultimate Southern Style Ritz Cracker Meatloaf . It's also DELICIOUS! I can't decide which one I like better! 

This recipe is different than most meatloaf recipes. No 1, there isn't any milk, A super flavorful beef base is used and no need for a meatloaf pan. And everyone loves the glaze with a kick! 

Read more below to find out what I use to make it juicy and tender! I should also mention that there is no need to buy breadcrumbs. Just use regular white bread. 

Meatloaf Recipe (with The Best Glaze!)

I struggled to snap a perfect picture of my best meatloaf!   Normally I wouldn't brag about things, but this meatloaf is seriously good.😋 It's hard to make meatloaf look good but at the end of the day, the flavor is all that matters. Right?

UPDATE! I posted the above photo almost two years ago. Since then, I've been working hard on my photography game and I think I've managed to take a better photo of my meatloaf. Check it out below! Yay! 

This is my absolute favorite comfort food...wait...My other fav is my Salisbury steak .  I'm afraid to say this, but I could probably eat the WHOLE 2 lbs!  

The Best Meatloaf Recipe

Back in the day, you wouldn't find me fighting over meatloaf because I pretty much hated it.  That same hatred for the loaf motivated me to develop a meatloaf recipe. 

The key to good flavorful meatloaf is to use 80% fat ground beef.  Too lean ground beef  just isn't as flavorful.  80% ground beef has more fat and that equals more flavor.

Instead of soaking the bread in milk, opt for beef  or chicken base. Beef or chicken broth works too but the bases has more flavor. 

Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever! Will Knock Your Socks Off

It's way more flavorful than milk. Most liquids will help meatloaf stay moist so I love to use flavorful beef broth as much as possible.

For even more flavor, one reader said she used ¾ tsp of onion and garlic powder. I tried it recently. It's delish!

As I mentioned above, you can sub milk for just about any liquid. Chicken, beef or vegetable broth work great. You can also add water if you like, but of course it won't add additional flavor. 

The Best Meatloaf Recipe Ever!

Meatloaf sauce is like the icing on the cake. To make the meatloaf sauce, you'll need ketchup, brown sugar and pepper.  I love to make a peppery brown sugar glaze.

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