• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
To Simply Inspire
  • About
    • Contact
    • Press
  • Recipe Index
  • By Course
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Main Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Snacks
    • Soups and Stews
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • All Recipes
  • By Course
  • Holidays
  • Shop
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Contact
  • Press
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • All Recipes
    • By Course
    • Holidays
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Contact
    • Press
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Main Dishes » The Best Easy Meatloaf Recipe

    The Best Easy Meatloaf Recipe

    Published: Sep 2, 2020 · Modified: Aug 1, 2021 by Sherri · This post may contain affiliate links · 2 Comments

    870 shares
    • Facebook
    Jump to Recipe
    meatloaf slice don a white platter

    This homemade classic meatloaf is comfort food at its best. Loaded with flavor using simple ingredients already in your kitchens, such as lean ground beef, onions, Parmesan cheese, and herbs and spices, this traditional juicy meatloaf holds together nicely and is topped with a tasty sweet tomato sauce glaze!

    This easy meatloaf recipe is one of those dishes that takes very little effort, is an inexpensive and convenient way to feed your family on busy weeknights, and yet makes such a lasting impression. If you are interested in a fantastic version that doesn’t include red meat, try this amazing Turkey Meatloaf Recipe.

    Meatloaf with 3 slices cut on a white plate with parsley in the background

    What is meatloaf?

    It is a combination of ground beef and other ingredients such as chopped onions, Parmesan cheese, herbs, and spices. Bread or breadcrumbs and an egg are used for binding and then it is shaped into a loaf and baked in the oven.

    The American version of meatloaf is usually topped with a sauce, like a tomato or pasta sauce, ketchup or bbq sauce, or in this case a sweet and tangy combination of ketchup, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce.

    Many comfort foods originate from a time when people used to have to stretch out their budget and while different countries and cultures adapt the dish to come up with their own version, the general idea usually remains the same and this traditional meatloaf recipe is by far the most requested family favorite recipe.

    Classic Meatloaf with tomato glaze on a white plate

    The neat thing about classic recipes like this one is that over time they become less about stretching out a budget and more about the flavor, the love, the experience, and well, comfort.

    As we all know amazing food comes from the heart of your very own kitchen, whether it’s the aroma of the flavor combinations or the memories of childhood, you’ll have everyone’s mouth watering before it even comes out of the oven.

    So head on in there and make this delicious recipe tonight, your family will thank you!

    several glass bowls of ingredients for meatloaf

    How to make this classic meatloaf

    Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and greasing a loaf pan. If you do not have one, you can use a glass baking dish or even a baking sheet and form a loaf shape with your hands. If you are using a loaf pan, place a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper underneath to avoid spillover messes as the juice from the meat bubbles up over the sides.

    Add the ground beef, breadcrumbs, onion, Parmesan cheese, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and dried parsley in a large bowl.  In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk and add to meat mixture.

    ingredients for meatloaf in a glass bowl
    parmesan cheese being grated over meatloaf mixture
    Eggs being whisked in a glass bowl

    Mix ingredients together being careful not to overmix. If you don’t mind mixing with your hands, now is the time to have some fun!

    Meatloaf mixture in a glass bowl

    Place the meatloaf into the prepared meatloaf pan and spread it out evenly.

    uncooked meatloaf in a metal loaf pan

    Mix the sauce in a small bowl and spread half of it overtop the meatloaf.

    Place in the oven to bake halfway. Then, pour the remaining sauce and continue to bake until done.

    Two cooked meatloaves still in loaf pans

    Let the meatloaf rest for a few minutes before slicing. Then, enjoy it!

    Pro Tips: There is ground beef, pork, and veal mixture that can be found in your grocery store if you wish to use a blend of different meats, however, keeping in mind using 80-85% ground beef instead of a leaner ground beef will help keep your meatloaf moist.

    For a gluten-free option, swap out regular breadcrumbs for panko breadcrumbs, Italian bread crumbs, gluten-free bread crumbs or old fashioned oats.

    If you happen to have frozen bread ends, stale bread, or really any bread at home, you can also make your breadcrumbs from scratch.

    Saute the onions ahead of time to enhance their flavor and if you are wanting to add veggies to your meatloaf cook the onions with some carrots and celery or even add ½ cup diced green bell pepper or red pepper if you’d like.

    How long should I cook Meatloaf?

    Generally, it takes about an hour, however as ovens vary the important thing is to make sure the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F with a meat thermometer.  

    How to store

    Store any leftover meatloaf in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat slices in the microwave on a microwave safe plate. Leftover meatloaf makes a mean meatloaf sandwich too!

    How to Freeze Meatloaf?

    You can freeze meatloaf for up to 2 months. Wrap the cooked and completely cooled loaf in plastic wrap first and then another layer of aluminum foil, then place it in a freezer bag. You can also freeze the loaf uncooked, then thaw completely in the refrigerator then cook per directions. Freeze without the meatloaf sauce and add the sauce just before baking in the oven.

    How to Make Breadcrumbs

    In an effort to not let your bread go to waste, making breadcrumbs is an efficient way to use up what you have left. It’s as simple as grinding hardened (basically stale) bread into as fine or as coarse of a grind as you like!

    If you are using fresh bread, place slices in the oven at 300 degrees F until dry and then once cooled, go ahead and grind them.

    What to serve it with Meatloaf

    I’m sure we’ve all heard “Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes” once or twice or a hundred times. As sides go, but mashed potatoes are one of the easiest and best accompaniments. Try these quick Slow Cooker Loaded Mashed Potatoes too!

    slice of meatloaf on a white plate with meatloaf on a platter in the background

    A nice light side salad goes well as favorite vegetables like roasted green beans or peas, or even roasted broccoli.

    Love comfort food recipes? Try these great dinner recipes too:

    Creamy Chicken Casserole

    Stuffed Chicken Breasts

    Bacon Ranch Chicken Casserole

    Creamy Chicken and Brown Rice Casserole

    meatloaf recipe topped with tomato glaze on a white plate with 3 slices cut

    Meatloaf Recipe

    This homemade classic meatloaf is easy comfort food at its best. Loaded with flavor using simple ingredients already in your kitchens, such as ground beef, onions, Parmesan cheese, and herbs and spices, this traditional juicy meatloaf holds together nicely and is topped with a tasty sweet glaze!
    5 from 27 votes
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Rest time: 10 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 523kcal
    Author: Sherri Hagymas

    Ingredients

    For the Meat Mixture:

    • 2 lbs 85% ground beef
    • 2 eggs
    • 1 cup regular breadcrumbs or fresh grated bread
    • 1 onion chopped fine
    • ½ cup milk
    • ½ cup parmesan cheese
    • 1 tablespoon ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
    • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
    • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon pepper
    • ¼ cup dried parsley

    For the Sauce:

    • ½ cup ketchup
    • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
    • Grease a 9×5 loaf pan with spray oil or by rubbing oil onto the sides and bottom.
    • Add all of the ingredients for the meatloaf mixture into a large bowl.
    • Place the eggs and milk in a separate small bowl and whisk together
    • Then add the egg mixture to the meat.
    • Blend the meatloaf ingredients all together. Using you hands is best for this step to prevent over mixing. (you can use a spoon but hands end to work best so not to over mix)
    • Place the meatloaf in to prepared loaf pan and spread out evenly.
    • Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
    • Pour ½ of the sauce over the top of the meatloaf
    • Place in the oven and bake at for 30 minutes.
    • At the end of the 30 minutes, pour the rest of the sauce over the top of the meatloaf and spread evenly
    • Return to the oven for and additional 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches
    • 160 degrees.
    • After you remove the meatloaf from the oven, let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
    • Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

    Notes

    If you don’t have a loaf pan, use a glass baking dish or sheet pan and form the meat mixture into a loaf size.
    Substitute gluten-free breadcrumbs or old fashioned oats in place regular breadcrumbs if needed.
    Use fresh grated bread of choice instead of store bought breadcrumbs.
    Place a baking sheet under the loaf pan to prevent any spill overs in the oven.
    Using at least 80-85% ground beef will keep meatloaf from being dry.
    Substitute the ground beef for a mixture of beef, pork and veal mixture that is found in some grocery meat departments.
    Want more veggies? Add ½ cup of chopped carrots and ½ cup of sliced celery in with the onions and saute them all until soft.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 165mg | Sodium: 1077mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 313IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 5mg

    Nutritional Disclosure

    Nutritional facts are estimates and are provided as a courtesy to the reader. Please utilize your own brand nutritional values to double check against our estimates. Nutritional values are calculated via a third party. Changing ingredients, amounts or cooking technique will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.

    Tried this recipe?Mention @ToSimplyInspire or tag #ToSimplyInspire!

    Sharing of this recipe to social media is both encouraged and appreciated. Please share the direct link back to the recipe. Copy/Pasting and/or screenshots of the recipe to any social media is strictly prohibited. Content and photographs are copyright protected

    More Main Dishes

    • Thinly sliced strips of cooked steak, onion, red and green bell peppers topped with sesame seeds in a white bowl.
      Pepper Steak
    • White plate of air fryer egg rolls topped with cilantro and a bowl of ranch on the side.
      Air Fryer Southwest Egg Rolls
    • closeup of a white bowl of creamy chicken pot pie soup with diced carrots, potatoes and peas.
      Chicken Pot Pie Soup
    • closeup of white serving bowl full homemade wedding soup with meatballs, kale, carrots and pasta with a spoon on the side of the bowl.
      Italian Wedding Soup

    Filed Under: Main Dishes, Popular Recipes, Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Danielle

      February 17, 2022 at 6:47 pm

      5 stars
      This is my favorite meatloaf recipe! So delicious and easy.

      Reply
    2. Barbara Moore

      February 09, 2022 at 10:07 pm

      5 stars
      I was glad I had all the ingredients in the house to make this delicious meatloaf. It came out moist and loaded with flavor from the ingredients and the beef/turkey/veal mix. The topping was tangy and a little sweet from the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce. We all loved it!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Sherri Hagymas leaning on a counter with a white coffee mug

    Hi there! I’m Sherri I love creating a variety of easy recipes that anyone can make and enjoy! From healthy to comforting, I hope you find something that inspires you!.

    More about me →

    Popular Recipes

    • Closeup of Protein Waffle on a white plate topped with sliced strawberries and bananas drizzled with peanut butter.
      Protein Waffle Recipe
    • a white mug with a protein brownie and a spoon
      Amazing One Minute Protein Brownie
    • crescent roll baked with nutella on the inside and sprinkled with powdered sugar.
      Nutella Crescent Rolls
    • black bowl with cottage cheese dip with a carrot and celery
      Ranch Cottage Cheese Dip
    • southern potato salad recipe in a white bowl
      Southern Potato Salad Recipe
    • Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta recipe in a silver serving bowl
      Bang Bang Shrimp Pasta

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use
    • Disclosure Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Shop
    • Shop My Favorites
    Copyright © 2023 To Simply Inspire
    Discloure Policy | Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
    To Simply Inspire is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program
    designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.