How to Make Meatloaf

How to make meatloaf will walk you through the simple steps to one of America's favorite dishes. With plenty of potential variations, soon enough you'll be touting your own "secret recipe" for the best meatloaf.

Introduction
- What better way to evoke happy childhood memories and banish winter's chill than by making meatloaf? Recipes for meatloaf abound and have even grown healthier over the years—there's tofu meatloaf, and meatloaf with black beans and flaxseed. For the traditional mix, like the one Mom used to make, all you'll need is several ingredients: ground beef, onion, breadcrumbs, garlic, ketchup, and a little milk. The classic comfort food, meatloaf will provide you with several hot servings as soon as it's out of the oven, and will be great for cold sandwiches the next day. Read on to learn all the joys of a good meatloaf recipe.
- And once you master the classic meatloaf, see our list of Alternative Meatloaf Recipes to try such creative ideas as Bison Meat Loaf or South African Curried Lamb Meatloaf. Yum!
What You'll Need for Traditional Meatloaf
- Food processor (if you plan to make your own breadcrumbs)
- Loaf pan
- Mixing bowls (one small, one large)
- 2 pounds ground beef (or try a combination of 1 pound ground beef and 2/3 pound ground veal and 1/3 ground pork)
- 2 cups bread crumbs (which will require 3-4 slices of white bread if you are making your own)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 large egg (or two eggs if you'd like; recipes we consulted were divided on whether to use 1 or 2 eggs), beaten
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 cloves garlic or 1/2 oz. garlic powder
- Optional: bacon (for topping), cheddar (for topping), carrot, celery, parsley, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce
Step 1: Mix it Up
- You'll need to combine your ingredients while your oven is heating up.
1. Before you do any mixing, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
2. If you are making your own bread crumbs, pulse bread in your food processor until crumbs have formed.
3. In a small mixing bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine meat, onion, garlic, egg, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
5. Some like to add 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard as a substitute for garlic.
6. Add the bread-milk mixture to your large bowl, and mix gently with a fork, or use your hands.
7. To see potential variations on this classic recipe, go to Epicurious's Meat Loaf recipe, which tells you exactly how to substitute red wine for milk, use tomato sauce and parsley, etc.
How To Make Classic Meat Loaf
Step 2: Place in Pan and Add Topping
- It's that easy—just add to the pan and choose a topping.
1. Place your mixture into a buttered loaf pan, or you can form it into a loaf on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
2. Brush remaining ketchup over the top of your meatloaf, or wait to brush it on during baking.
3. You might also like to add bacon to the top of your meatloaf: 4 strips will be enough.
4. Alternatively, finely grated cheddar cheese can be a delicious topping, try mixing 1/2 cup into your final mixture and then sprinkling another 1/2 cup on top before baking.
Step 3: Bake
- It's time to put your meatloaf in the oven.
1. Bake your meatloaf for 45-55 minutes.
2. When done, your meatloaf will start to pull slightly away from the pan.
3. You can also use a meat thermometer to measure doneness. Your thermometer should read 160 degrees if your meatloaf is done.
4. You may wish to brush ketchup over the top of your meatloaf twice while baking.
5. Be sure to let meatloaf rest after removing it from the oven so its juices will redistribute.
Traditional Meatloaf Recipes
Alternative Meatloaf Recipes
- Epicurious: Turkey Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce
- Epicurious: Beef and Sausage Meatloaf with Mozzarella
- Epicurious: Red Onion Meatloaf
- Epicurious: Buffalo Meatloaf
- Epicurious: Turkey Meatloaf with Sun-dried Tomatoes
- Epicurious: South African Curried Lamb Meatloaf
- Epicurious: Tofu-and-meat Loaf
- Disney Family Food: How to Make Meatloaf Healthy
- Food & Wine: Bison Meat Loaf
- Food & Wine: Herbed Meat Loaf with Mushroom Gravy
- Food & Wine: Cape Malay Meat Loaf