I had to reclaim meatloaf from boarding school memories where it was grey paste specked with peas and carrot. Meatloaf is good food I've since found.
A cup of cream, bay leaves on top and cooking the baking pan in a tray of water helps further erase childhood terrors.

This recipe for meatloaf is the best! The spicy ground pork sausage adds a little something to it. My fiance loves it and requests it quite often. He brags about how good it is. Thanks! I give it an A++++++!!! Try it, you'll be happy you did.

I also have found that everyone loves this meatloaf. I add one red pepper to the mixture as well. And I actually put all the vegetables in the food processor before cooking. The glaze I use is a mixture of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Yummy!

Just finished dinner. I followed this recipe to the letter and it was absolutely divine! My husband and my daughter loved it!

This sounds like a great recipe.

When I make meatloaf, I don't use a loaf pan - I form it into a little mound and bake it on a cookie sheet. That way I get a lot more crispy surface area on top (the best part!)

I've also discovered an alternative to ketchup. Plain old Progresso chunky tomato soup has huge bits of tomatoes and is actually quite good. I heat it up and use it as a tomato "gravy" to top the loaf with. My husband loves canned soup as "comfort food," so we always have it lying around.

I've had good luck incorporating 1-2 TBSP soy sauce in meatloaf, and slightly reducing the salt accordingly. It seems to me to enhance the "beefy" flavor of the loaf, without imparting any soy sauce flavor of its own. I got the idea from the use of soy sauce in an excellent "au jus" recipe for roast beef drippings.

I've used Watkins Meat Magic in meatloaf instead of soy sauce. Again, it's a beefy flavor with no "soy" taste. It has less salt than soy sauce, also. There are nearly as many meatloaf recipes as there are people who make it! We use 1/3 ground chuck, 1/3 ground veal and 1/3 sweet Italian sausage (removed from casings) in ours. Actual amounts of each depends on the size meatloaf we are making. My DH does like bacon on his, but to reduce the fat, I pre-cook the bacon about 1/2 - 2/3 done before laying it on top of the meatloaf (on top of the ketsup topping). Meatloaf sandwiches are a joy forever - with a little pickle relish, mustard, mayo and a cold glass of milk! Yummm! Another thing, he now likes his meatloaf made in large-size muffin tins. Easy to freeze the extra.
So glad you posted this!

Mmm, sounds like something I'll try! My classic (and I've never found one I like more) is:
2lb lean ground beef
1 tube ritz crackers, crushed
1 egg
1 small onion, diced
1 grated carrot
Minced fresh parsley
Salt, pepper to taste
Heinz Chili Sauce
A few dashes of worshteshire sauce

Mush the meat, crackers, egg, onion, carrot, parsley, salt, pepper, worshtesire sauce and 1/2 a bottle of chili sauce together until mixed. Form in to a loaf on a baking sheet. Spread chili sauce on top of loaf as you would ice the top of a cake. Bake for an hour. Yummilicious!

Mix

This is very similar to meatloaf that I make, but I do not use any veal. Also, what my family likes, is a can of cream of mushroom soup poured over the top. When cooked about half through, I drain out the grease and put the soup over the top. This makes a great gravy as well!

Like a poster above, I don't use a loaf pan. I just make a mound on a rimmed sheet pan. In fact, lately I've started making two small loaves instead of one big one so that it will cook faster. It's usually done in 30 minutes or so that way.

I had my dad make this meatloaf for dinner, and it was delicous. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. Thanks so much for posting this recipe, thank you.

This meatloaf rocks!

I tried testing a wheat-free version of this using 1 cup of puffed rice instead of the bread crumbs, worked well.

I've always like meatloaf. Especially
meatloaf sandwiches. This reminded me
of a recipe my Mom used to make where she
mixed in a can of Campbell's Vegetarian
Vegetable soup.

Made this for the family the other weekend. It was pretty good. Next time I might substitute
chili sauce for the ketchup. Wasn't sure
what was meant by "spicy ground pork
sausage" so used some hot and mild Ital.
sausages we had in the freezer. Think I put too
much ketchup on the top as it never go crusty,
even after baking for an hour.

Regards,
RD

Awesome recipe. Best thing about meatloaf is the room to creative. I "empty the fridge" sometimes -- last time I added maranara sauce, garlic chunks, and a little shredded parmesan that had dried out (but not gone bad). Different taste, but it really worked. A-1, a little barbeque sauce, black strap molasass, a touch of cayenne, a small spoonfull of grape jelly, all add to the flavor -- just don't do too much of any one thing. Straight tomato paste on the roof, sprinkled with chives is the only best topping for me.

This was by far the best meat loaf I have ever had. My wife wanted a recipe for meat loaf with tomato sauce and I found this one. I just can't say enough good about the recipe.

I just made this meatloaf and it's a delicious recipe with a lot of flavor! I really like your idea for cooking the onion and other veggies on the stove, before they go into the mix, so they don't end up tasting raw in the finished meatloaf. Thank you for introducing us to using Italian sausage in meatloaf. That adds a lot of flavor.

Thank you for helping out a total novice at cooking. This makes my fifth dish I have ever made and it was gooooood. I had more trouble trying to figure out what a scallion was supposed to look like in the store than making the whole meal.

I also use chili sauce on the top of my meat loaf, then I lay 3-4 strips of bacon across the top to keep it from drying out and adding excellent flavor.

Hey Elise-

I've followed your site for some time, and your recipes typically rock.

I just wanted to say a recent thank-you for a meatloaf recipe. it's something I've always been quite suspicious of, and never had good experiences with. Until just a month ago, and then, I searched out yours. I am not usually a fan of sweet and meat, but this, well, I think I'll be eating it again.

Thank you so much!

Note from Elise: You are very welcome. Glad you liked it!

I'm going to try this recipe. I've never had meat loaf before. What's more, I'm going to make it with kangaroo mince (which has a more beefy/gamey flavour).

Wow! What a great recipe. Absolutely delicious!! This one is a keeper, thanks for sharing.

I stumbled across your blog while I was doing some online research. Isn't it remarkable how nearly everyone has a family recipe for meatloaf, yet they're all somehow similar and all qualify as comfort food?

I like to top my meatloaf not only with ketchup but I mix the ketchup with tomato soup and a dash of washtishire. This add a great taste, just thought I'd let all you meatloaf lovers know its fun to try new things and you don't always have to follow the recipe.

Wicked. Good.
I added a bit of diced bell pepper just cause I had it, and I did a barbecue + ketchup topping, but otherwise followed your recipe. Mine took about an hour and 20 minutes to cook all the way thru, but it was worth the wait. Most moist and tasty meatloaf I've ever made. THANKS!! Time for meatloaf sandwiches.... :)

A great sauce for meatloaf is to cover the top before baking with a sauce made of:
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbs brown sugar
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp dried mustard

My favorite meatloaf:

1 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground pork
1 can original Rotel (undrained)
1 egg
1 onion, diced
about 1/2 a sleeve (or until texture is right) of Saltine crackers
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix all ingredients, except cheddar, together in a bowl with your hands.
Form into a loaf in a baking pan. Bake at 350 for about an hour. Top with cheese and return to oven about 5 minutes to melt cheese. Let it rest a few minutes before slicing.

This meatloaf is delicious! I've tasted others but this is the best!

This was Grrreat! My sis is one of the best cooks next to grandma from southern to show off meals and now thinks I'm one in the making after making this. I used some Ragu, mmm mmm! Thank you!

Oatmeal! There used to be a great recipie on the Quaker Oatmeal box. I actually called Quaker and they gave me the recipe.

1 - 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
3/4 Cup oatmeal
1/4 Cup chopped onions
salt & pepper
1 C tomatoe juice (I use V-8)
1 egg

Loaf pan, 350 for an hour or so. I top it with chili sauce. Yum.

Also good with a can of green chili or two.

Thank you for sharing this recipe. I had already bought the ground pork and beef so didn't use the sausage you recommended but I will next time. I think sauteeing the veggies makes a huge difference - it was so moist and tasty!!! What a great recipe.....way better than the one I've been using and easy too. Thanks again,

I had never made meatloaf before and I was looking so a simple but good recipe, and instead i found a very simple and deliciouse one. Everyone loved it, even teenagers who were use to school meatload where hesitant at first but know they are meatloaf lovers. I did substitue BBQ sauce for the ketchup and went with mild italian sausage. Thanks for posting it and i will defenetly add it to my collection. AL

The sauce I put on meatloaf is ketchup, maple syrup and dry mustard. It's a great combo and really makes the meal!

Its been a long time sine I've made meatloaf, but this recipe is wonderfully easy. I added red pimientos for color and a little brown spicy mustard for a light tangy taste.

Make it quicker with use of a food processor...

the fresh bread crumbs are so easy to crumble in the food processor.

and use it for the carrots and celery too, they get to be a nice fine chop that looks attractive in the meatloaf without being too obvious.

Elise, your website has brought much joy to my family. I am finding *favorites* of your recipes, such as this one for meatloaf. I am 12 weeks pregnant and a little under the weather. The solution? Your meatloaf recipe. Who knew?!

Looks great! I've always made my meatloaf half beef half hot sausage. Using chili sauce instead of ketchup is pretty good as well.

I tried this recipe last night and it was a WINNER! OMG! So delicious...thank you.

Hello, when I was younger I used to go to the Unites States twice a year, and loved it. My favourite foods were Meat Loaf and Sloppy Joes (can't find a recipe for Sloppy Joes). I am about to try this recipe as I have tried over 50 already and find them not 'beefy' enough. I am from Jaen, Andalucia, Spain and am confused by the ingredient 'ketchup'. We have lots of tomato products in Spain, Frito etc. but not ketchup. I have found a product called 'Heinz Tomato Ketchup' - would this be OK? Thank you.

Note from Elise: Heinz tomato ketchup is perfect.

What am I doing wrong? This meatloaf has *amazing* taste. I've made it 3-4 different times. The problem I am having is getting the meatloaf to cut into a slice and not fall apart into chunks. I let it cool for 10-15 min. but it still does it. I make sure the veggies are chopped fine (I use a food processor to ensure it). To me, I guess it's not that big of a deal, but DH is insistent that it should be cut into a firm slice. Any advice, anyone?

First time meatloaf maker! ... I made this last night and everyone loved it. The sausage is really the key ingredient. My boyfriend said it was "the best meatloaf [he's] ever had." And I agree! I also used Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs, and I've heard that mashed-up-croutons are another great version to use with meatloaf. Two thumbs up!

This was incredible- I work at a supportive housing building and do cooking classes. Four tenants and I made it and the directions were easy to follow, it was fun, and the results were mouthwateringly delicious. We doubled the recipe, which perfectly filled three loaf pans. Thank you!

I just experimented with a Buffalo Meatloaf and found it fairly good. Much less on the calories and fat side, so that was good. I really liked it for meatloaf sandwiches the next day. Joe

Would there be any problem with prepping everything this the night before, putting it in the refrigerator, and then popping in the oven the next day?

Sounds like a great way to go about it to me. ~Elise

This is THE BEST recipe for meatloaf and I've tried a lot. Thank you so much! What a flavorful dish.

My mom always added a 3 oz softened cream cheese to her meatloaf. I have given her recipe out to friends and they swear by it now!

I found this recipe this afternoon and made it for dinner. I didn't have any carrots, but had a sweet red bell pepper (go figure) and used it instead. The recipe turned out very good and my husband loved it. I make my regular meatloaf with a few more herbs, so I missed more of an herb thing going on, but this is definately going to become part of "the rotation." Can't wait for the sandwiches! Thank You for taking the time to post this for all of us!!

I absolutely LOVE this meatloaf recipe, as do my friends and family. This is comfort food at its finest, and it is great leftover.

This is recipe s just great! Love it especially when you use it as a filling in a croissant. Delicious!

I've never had meatloaf, but I do substitute sausage for ground meat in pasta sauces and it adds so much depth and extra flavour.

I have made this meatloaf several times, and it always receives great reviews. My boyfriend hates celery and carrots, but yet he loves my meatloaf. This meatloaf is so full of flavor, and exceptionally moist. I cannot say enough good things about this.

I don't eat beef or pork, and have never had meatloaf. Can you make this recipe with turkey or chicken sausage? Would you just cut the binding from the meat inside?

I suggest doing a search on Food Blog Search for turkey meatloaf. You'll find some ideas there. ~Elise

Oh, my goodness, meat loaf. With real meat, real flavor, real goodness. I love it for the very home-and-hearth reasons you mentioned. Among a half-dozen of my fondest memories is one of my bursting through the back door from school when I was about 10 and smelling meat loaf in the oven. I was warm, I was safe, I was home and pretty soon I was going to be filled with food I loved made for me by someone who loved me. My daughter is visiting this week, and I just might have to make this real deal, not some sad 21st century substitute made with ground turkey breast and high-fiber cereal. Thanks, Elise. You always jog a memory or two along with giving great recipes.

Really nice meatloaf recipe! I use Italian sausage in mine too. My mom used to put hard boiled eggs in the middle of the loaf. It was like having a little treasure hunt at the dinner table!

I love the idea of using sausage is meatloaf. I am going to have to try that. Thanks.

Make your own bread crumbs. Save all of your leftover bread and crumble it up and place in a cookie sheet. Let the crumbs sit out until they dry out (about 3 hours) Then season them to your liking and pop them into the oven at 300° for 15 minutes. Turn them once and bake for another 15 minutes. Let cool and put in plastic reclosable bag. Never buy bread crumbs again. I don't. I freeze them in the Ziplock bag and get them out when I need them. (let them cool completely before putting them into the bag or you will have a soggy mess)

Great ideas, thanks! What we do is take the ends or any leftover pieces of loaves of bread that get hard (happens all the time with baguettes and French or Italian loaves) and put them in a tray in a cabinet. When we need bread crumbs we take out some of these hard pieces, break them with a meat hammer into smaller chunks, and put them in the blender. Any leftover crumbs we store in the cabinet in a mason jar. ~Elise

I've been working on a meatloaf sauce, and here is what I have so far:
1/2 cup of ketchup
1/4 cup of dijon mustard
2 TBS Brown Sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

I throw this on top of my meatloaf during the last 1/2 hour of baking. It's a work in progress, but it's pretty good.

Man, I love meatloaf. I never get to make it though because my girlfriend hates it. Her mother makes the worst (worst!) meatloaf and she won't believe me that I can make a good one.

I always line the bottom of the pan with a couple of pieces of bread. It soaks up the fat. When you pull the meatloaf out of the pan (we like it cold) it isn't attached to a gob of grease.

Recipe is just like my mom's-YUM!
The first time I tried to make this on my own for my BF, I didn't cook the Mirepoix and ended up with "crunchy" meatloaf - I have NEVER been able to live this down! lol!

I love meatloaf but most places don't make it well...here's my mom's which I absolutely love to death. I think the ammounts are about right. Never really measure.

Ingredients
Meatloaf
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
1 cup of chopped onion
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 shot of Worscestershire sauce
1/3 cup ketchup
1 cup italian bread crumbs
2 large eggs

Potatoes
4 potatoes
Half stick of butter
Splash cup of milk or cream

Directons

1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2: Combine meatloaf ingredients in a bowl until reasonably well combined

3: Form into a loaf on a flat baking sheet or pan with 2 inch high sides and bake for 45min.

4: While baking boil the potatoes until fork tender and drain

5: Add butter and cream and mash

6: cover meatloaf with potatoes and sprinkle with paprika

7: Bake 15 additional minutes or so till potatoes brown a bit

Enjoy!

My mom's trick was to add 3 oz. softened cream cheese! Try it, you won't believe how good it is!

I'll probably try this recipe although I usually just make the recipe on the Quaker Oats box and use a mixture of good ground beef and veal and add jalapeno ketchup.

I have been secretly watching your recipes for years now. Your recipes never fail me! I grew up in The Bay Area so your stories of California always bring a smile to my face.OOO how I miss Cali! It was actually quite funny to see this recipe today. As I was eating my meatloaf sandwich look what I found. I have one quick question - I am curious whether or not you could make this meatloaf and cook it in the crockpot? I actually made mine in crockpot and it turned out pretty moist. But it had milk and soft bread crumbs in it. Would you suggest adding something to keep it moist if I did cook it in the crockpot? Thanks again for all your wonderful recipes!

Excellent recipe--the sausage is the key--I like to use a ground chorizo I get at the local market, but Italian sausage will do as well.

And tossing the sauteed veggies in the food processor really helps add more moisture to the loaf mix.

Another fun addition is to place a couple of balls of fresh mozzarella cheese inside each meatloaf--then when you cut open the loaf you get a lava flow of gooey, melty molten cheese oozing out of each slice!

Meatloaf recipe sounds great...BUT...here's the missing ingredient:
1 tsp. poultry seasoning

Try it!
Shane

I like to add a package of frozen spinach to my meatloaf, which is basically like your recipe except for that. Just prepare the spinach according to the package directions (I use the microwave), DRAIN WELL (key step!) and mix in. I can't claim credit for this idea, but it's been so long now that I don't recall where it came from. Maybe The Joy of Cooking?

Also, I've seen some recipes that use lamb instead of veal, if anyone out there wonders if that would work. Personally, I like the beef and pork sausage mixture best, but that's mainly because I don't have lamb or veal routinely on hand.

The recipe in the 1979 edition of the Fannie Farmer Cookbook was the one that turned me on to meatloaf. The ground mustard in the Fannie Farmer version is my secret. Mom's was always straight ground beef, and she used rice as her "stretcher". Me - I use half ground beef (of some kind) and half pork sausage. If you're in a hurry, Jimmy Dean Italian Sausage or Hot Sausage will do the trick. I'll use the Progresso Italian breadcrumbs instead of fresh (I'm lazy that way). And I never use any sauce on it - maybe I'll have to give that a try. To the poster who wonders why her meatloaf "crumbles" - maybe weighting it (like a pate) would help? Just a thought. . .

How funny! I just prepared this last night for baking this evening.. I don't eat pork, so I used turkey italian sausage--tasted great! Unfortunately, I added all 2/3 c ketchup to the "batter" instead of only 1/3c and it ended up so moist that it was falling apart. ....still good, though! We ate it with pita bread.

My mother used oatmeal in place of bread crumbs. And of course we all know that mashed potatoes go with meatloaf ... and maybe creamed corn. Heaven!

Ah, meatloaf! Thanks for the reminder of this classic. I think I'll try adding some sausage in my next batch as you suggest. Good idea.
I used to use bread crumbs in the mix but in recent years I liked the texture of crushed saltine crackers better.

We make meatloaf a couple times a month. It's a great way to use veggies that aren't going to last much longer and great for lunches. We never use beef anymore though. It's only kangaroo now because it's WAY healthier (it's super low fat & cholesterol) and it's got a great meaty (but not gamey) flavor. Yum!

This is my standard recipe and I can't recall where I first saw it. It's delicious, keeps well, and is easy to prepare. We eat it hot, cold (sandwiches), with, without. Good standard fare (and what we called a "cottage" loaf).

This was amazing. My entire family voted this the best meatloaf ever and we are all eating meatloaf sandwiches today!

Sausage - great addition for the flavor and moistness! My childhood meat loaf days never included sausage hence, my children's childhood days never included meat loaf. But they will be in for a treat with this recipe! I'm going to give it a go!

My 12-yr old son wanted to make meatloaf. This is what I told him:

Meatloaf is as good as your imagination. I make it according to a theme: Mexican, Italian, Greek, etc. Instead of using ketchup, use salsa, speghetti sauce, beer, red wine, etc. Instead of bread crumbs, use crackers or oatmeal (that gives it a whole different texture and taste). I just go through the fridge and cupboards and grab anything that sounds good, veggies, condiments, etc. I have started using 1 pound each burger, sausage and ground turkey. I thought if I started a restraunt I would offer "Never the Same Meatloaf" as it would be different each time I make it. HA

This is an amazing meat loaf recipe! I liked the flavors so much that I use the mixture (along with rice, parmesan, and italian seasonings) for making stuffed peppers. I also like to make my meat loaf with a tomato sauce mixture. I form the meat loaf and let it brown slightly in the oven. While it's browning, I make a sauce mixture of tomato sauce, italian-style diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, garlic, italian seasonings, and some red pepper flakes. I then pour that into the pan to cook with the meat loaf.

We also use sausage in our meatloaf. I will have to give this version a try though, it sounds delicious.

Just a note to keep the crisp part crisp and the grease at bay. Take a cookie sheet, place a cookie cooling tray on it. Place a sheet of aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray on top of the cooling rack. Pierce the foil several times for drainage. Form the meat into a loose loaf shape. While cooking, the grease drains off while giving a nicely crisp edge. When done, the loaf pulls nicely off the foil if you sprayed it well with cooking spray. Great recipe, by the way. Love the sausage, but use turkey sausage for less fat. It's usually available in both mild and spicy links....

Oh boy, that looks mighty tasty.

I love meatloaf, and posted my personal recipe on my blog a while back. (I even included a link to your site in the comments!)

I've been using pork sausage in mine for a while now and it just makes the meatloaf come out so much better.

I'm looking forward to trying out your recipe some time soon.

You give me hope for the younger generation. Your recipes are always good. You manage to add a new twist to the old fashion cooking classics. I particularly loved the addition of the fennel seeds if you did not have the spicy Italian sausage. I'm liking fennel more and more.

Thanks! But I'm in my late 40s. Does that qualify me for the younger generation? If so, grrrreat. ;-) ~Elise

When my mom makes meatloaf, instead of using fresh bread crumbs, she usually uses StoveTop brand stuffing. It's really good; it adds some extra flavor and leaves it nice and moist. Although I suppose any brand of stuffing will do...

HHHHMMMM, Yummy, I made it just as is . . . we loved it! I'm so happy my daughter had the chance to meet you this summer and share this website with me! Reminder: Vaughn & Heidi's nanny!

I have the same problem as a poster above - my meatloaf always turns out crumbly. From looking at the pictures, it seems that maybe my ground meat isn't ground as finely as what you're using. Is it okay to put it all (including the meat) into the food processor together? I've heard that working the meat too much will give it a tough texture, and I don't want that.

I made the "Classic Meatloaf" exactly as described. I never made meatloaf before and don't even remember ever trying it. However, my wife's family is into it and they raved about the final product. They said it was the best they've ever had. I bought the ingredients at Whole Foods, including the bread crumbs. I suspect that the good quality ingredients contributed to the great taste. I've since made a second batch and added some ground cayenne peppers and about 1/3 cup of red wine with no ill effect... :-)

Meat Loaf, yum, great topping is just ketchup/heinz 57 combined. Just the right flavor.
Also on wax paper you can flatten the meat mixture, sprinkle your choice of cheese, roll up, and top with spaghetti sauce, and bake. yum again!

I made this meatloaf for the first time 4/07 and forgot all about it. Went to a wedding today and my bf didn't want to eat the food there. Instead he asked for this meatloaf! It must be good. :)