How to Make Meatloaf

Most of us probably grew up eating meatloaf for dinner at least a few times a year, if not every month. And is there anything better than a tasty meatloaf sandwich at a down-home restaurant?

If you want to recreate the meatloaf of your childhood memories or your favorite diner meal, you’ve come to the right place! Making the perfect meatloaf at home is easy.

You don’t even need to use a loaf pan, unless you prefer it. Instead, you can simply shape the meatloaf with your hands and bake it on a foil-lined sheet pan.

What’s in Meatloaf?

Meatloaf usually contains two pounds of ground meat, such as beef, pork, veal or lamb. You can even use a combination.

Don’t use very lean meat, however, or it will make for a dry meatloaf. Look for ground meat marked 85%.

To hold the meatloaf together, soak bread, bread crumbs, crackers or oats in milk or water. Use this, along with eggs, as a binding agent when mixing the meatloaf.

If desired, you can add finely chopped onions or vegetables, such as spinach, to your meatloaf mixture.

You can top the meatloaf with a ketchup/brown sugar glaze, gravy or simply wrap it in bacon.

Check out these meatloaf recipes for ideas:

• Stuffed Meatloaf
• Gluten-Free Teriyaki Meatloaf
• Cheddar-Stuffed Florentine Meatloaf with Creamy Potato Gravy

Ingredients for Meatloaf

• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup Breadcrumbs
• 1 cup Diced Onion, About 1/2 a large onion
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 tablespoons Milk
• 2 tablespoons Ketchup
• 2 tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce.

For the Glaze:

• 3 tablespoons Ketchup
• 3 tablespoons A1 Steak Sauce

How to Make Meatloaf

1. Lightly mix all the bread crumbs, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, ground pepper, salt, milk, 2 tablespoons ketchup and 2 tablespoons steak sauce together in a large mixing bowl.
2. Divide the mixture in half, form each half into a loaf, and place onto a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
3. Bake at 375°F for 50-60 minutes, or until done. You can check it with an instant thermometer. When the internal temperature is 155 degrees F, take it out of the oven and let it rest for a few minutes.
4. About 10 minutes before your meatloaf is finished cooking, mix together the remaining ketchup and steak sauce for the glaze and brush over the meatloaf.
5. Refrigerate leftovers for up to four days.

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