If you’re looking for a family-friendly comfort food that requires very little hands-on effort and is almost impossible to ruin, this basic meatloaf recipe is a great start!
No matter the season, meatloaf is a winning recipe in the Dekker household.
In the colder months, we enjoy it with mashed potatoes and roasted veggies. In warmer months, we’ll eat it with potato wedges, green beans, and a Caesar salad.
And we always enjoy the leftovers — either warmed up with leftover side dishes, or cold on a sandwich (don’t knock it until you’ve tried it!)
You’ll love this easy recipe!
Contrary to popular opinion, meatloaf is not a time-consuming meal. In fact, with as little as 15 minutes of hands-on time, you can have this frugal, family-friendly meal in the oven.
It does take a full hour to cook through, but you can use that time to clean your kitchen, make a few side dishes, or read a book! ☺️
Meatloaf is a fabulous recipe to make on busy weeknights because you can mix everything up in the morning, or even the night before, and simply pop it in the oven an hour before you’re ready to eat.
I’ve tried to keep this recipe as basic as possible — with only one bowl and one loaf pan to wash (you’ll understand how as you read the recipe below)!
Ingredients for Meatloaf
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c. – 1 c. milk (I start with 1/2c. and add more as necessary)
- 1 c. dry bread crumbs (or 2 slices of bread broken into small chunks)
- 1 small onion; chopped (or 1 T. dried minced onion)
- 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef (or turkey, or combination)
- 1 T. mustard
- 1/4 c. ketchup
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
How to Make A Basic Meatloaf
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a medium bowl, combine egg, milk, bread crumbs, onions, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until well mixed.
3. Add in ground beef and mix until just combined.
4. Form meat into a loaf shape.
Note: I don’t love touching raw ground beef, so I dump the meat onto a large sheet of plastic wrap spread on the counter and then use the plastic wrap to mold it into a loaf shape.
Another Note: this is also where you would freeze it if you’re making it ahead of time (see freezer notes at the end of the post)
5. Place loaf into a greased 1 lb. bread loaf pan.
Note: you could also divide the mixture up into mini loaf pans or even muffin tins for smaller portions.
6. Squeeze a little mustard and ketchup on top and sprinkle with brown sugar.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until meat is thoroughly cooked through.
8. Drain grease off meat.
Note: I use a knife or spatula to hold the meat in the pan while gently tipping to drain the grease into a small bowl.
9. Serve immediately!
Variations for a Basic Meatloaf
My family and I will attest to the fact that this recipe tastes fantastic “as is”.
However, it’s a very basic recipe that could easily be “beefed up a bit” (pun intended) by adding extra ingredients.
Here are a few ideas:
- Add a variety of fresh or dried herbs based on your taste preferences
- Substitute Dijon, spicy, or other flavored mustard for a little more depth
- Use chili sauce or flavored ketchup as a topping
- Try different flavored bread crumbs
- Add 1/4 c. of parmesan cheese to the mixture (or any favorite cheese)
- Wrap it in bacon before putting it in the pan (this is amazing!)
- Mix ground turkey and ground beef
- Add a 1/4 cup of applesauce or a finely chopped apple to the mixture (this is surprisingly delicious too!)
- Bake the mixture in mini loaf pans (for 40 minutes) or even muffin tins (for 30 minutes)for smaller meals or individual portions.
- Make them into meatballs if you only have 20 minutes (here’s my yummy meatball recipe).
The beauty of a BASIC recipe is that you can make it as-is, or use it as your foundation to branch out with a few extra ingredients.
I use this method of cooking so often and it makes being in the kitchen much more enjoyable because I’m not so worried about “following the recipe”. If I get my basic recipe down, then the substitutions can be whatever I feel like doing at the time.
How to Freeze Meatloaf
This is such an easy meal to make ahead and freeze — saving you lots of time and mess later on (win-win!)
1. Make the recipe exactly as directed through step 4 above (mix all ingredients and form the mixture into whatever size loaf/loaves you want to eventually bake).
2. Wrap the loaf/loaves in plastic wrap, then in aluminum foil.
3. Write the contents on the aluminum foil, and pop in the freezer.
That’s it!
Your meatloaf should stay perfectly fresh for several months (if you can wait that long!)
Note: you can also freeze already-cooked meatloaf, but I would freeze it already sliced so you can defrost exactly what you want to eat.
How to Cook a Frozen Meatloaf
When you’re ready to cook a frozen meatloaf, simply dump the frozen loaf into your bread pan and let it defrost in the fridge for 24 hours or on the counter for 3-4 hours.
Preheat your oven to 350º and cover the top of the meat with ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar (as directed in step 6 of the recipe).
Bake as directed, drain the grease, eat and enjoy!
Note: The cooking time might be a bit longer if the middle isn’t totally defrosted yet. Make sure you check for doneness before eating!
The next time you’re craving a delicious comfort meal, give my basic meatloaf a try.
In less than 15 minutes, you can have dinner in the oven!
Basic Meatloaf
If you’re looking for a family-friendly comfort food that requires very little hands-on effort and is almost impossible to ruin, this basic meatloaf recipe is a great start!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1/2 c. – 1 c. milk (I start with 1/2c. and add more as necessary)
- 1 c. dry bread crumbs (or 2 slices of bread broken into small chunks)
- 1 small onion; chopped (or 1 T. dried minced onion)
- 1 T. Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp. salt
- black pepper to taste
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef (or turkey, or combination)
- 1 T. mustard
- 1/4 c. ketchup
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- In a medium bowl, combine egg, milk, bread crumbs, onions, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until well mixed.
- Add in ground beef and mix until just combined.
- Form meat into a loaf shape.
- Place loaf into a greased 1 pound loaf pan
- Squeeze a little mustard and ketchup on top and sprinkle with brown sugar.
- Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until meat is thoroughly cooked through.
- Drain grease off meat.
- Serve immediately!
Notes
I don’t love touching raw ground beef, so I dump the meat onto a large sheet of plastic wrap spread on the counter and then use the plastic wrap to mold it into a loaf shape.
Freeze this after step 4 and defrost it whenever you're ready to enjoy an easy dinner!
The cooking time might be a bit longer if the middle isn't totally defrosted yet. Make sure you check for doneness before eating!
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Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 345Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 101mgSodium 606mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 1gSugar 10gProtein 27g
Nutritional information is approximate and does not account for additional ingredients or added toppings.
What is your favorite meatloaf “variation”?
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Suzanne says
I am so excited to try this in a few weeks! My recipe just isn’t cutting it any longer and I have been looking g for a good one. Thanks!
Andrea says
hope you enjoy it, Suzanne! We love this meatloaf!
Christy says
Meatloaf add in —horseradish if you like a little kick.
I put half the meatloaf mixture in the pan make an indentation, add shredded cheese down the center, top with rest of meatloaf mix and be sure to “seal” it.
Andrea says
yum! Thanks for the tip!
Wendy says
Will this freeze well after cooking? Looking for freezer meals for seniors but would like to provide them with a couple slices of cooked meatloaf …
Andrea says
Hi Wendy — yes, if you want to freeze it after making it, then slice it first so it won’t take as long to defrost.
Great idea!
Meg says
This is the only meatloaf I make now! It’s the best! My local store has a meatloaf mix that is beef, veal, and pork. It’s perfect. I also just shape it into a loaf and cook it in an 8×8 glass pan.
Andrea says
Yum, that beef, veal, pork mix sounds delicious! Perfect for this recipe!
Vivian Evans says
How long do you cook the mini meat loafs and at what temperature?
Andrea says
same temperature — and the time would depend on the size of the mini loaves. Start with 30 minutes for small muffin tin sizes and then add time if needed.
Marcy says
I’ve never heard of putting sugar on meatloaf. I’ve only ever put ketchup. Maybe I will be brave and try a little sugar next time.
Andrea says
brown sugar… it’s fantastic!
Sarah says
I made this using 1# ground turkey, everything else the same as your recipe – we all loved it!
The only thing I did differently…can’t stand touching raw meat either ;)…is that I mixed it well, then pressed it right into the loaf pan without forming it into a loaf. Turned out just fine. And, with the ground turkey, I didn’t have grease to drain off.
Perfectly moist and SO good with that brown sugar “candy coating” on it!!
Sarah says
Oh, and the ketchup and mustard got mixed in because I forgot to read the recipe correctly 🙂
Debbie says
I love making meatloaf because it’s so easy, and we’re also meat lovers. I use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs, whatever oatmeal we have on hand, and don’t even measure. Somehow it feels a little bit healthier to me when I know it’s oatmeal. Add ketchup, low sodium soy sauce, chopped carrots and onions, pepper, egg and you’re good to go.
Roxanna Kowan says
When I make meatloaf I use my broiler pan. I cover the bottom with foil and then spray the top with cooking spray. I form the loaf just like you do and set it on the broiler pan. All the slits allow the grease to drain and at the end I can just throw out the foil with all the grease inside it.
Andrea says
Good idea… but is the broiler pan difficult to clean? I’d think all the grease in the cracks would be a pain?
Roxanna Kowan says
It isn’t that hard to clean as long as you spray the pan with cooking spray. Make sure you do both sides of the rack (or whatever you call the top part of the pan) or else it is kind of pain to get the grease off the back.
Paula says
I make mine into 12 meatloaf muffins. I do put a cookie sheet underneath when baking as the fat/juice will drip out and I just drizzle with ketchup but since not everyone likes ketchup in my family they can be personalized. I just use the recipe on the back of the Lipton Onion soup mix.
Andrea says
I LOVE mini meatloafs — and the idea of personalizing them 🙂
Cheryle says
Does anyone ever cook meatloaf in the microwave? I’ve done it for years. Takes 15 minutes or less. I use ground beef though; it may take longer if you use ground turkey or pork or sausage.
Andrea says
hmmm… I’ve never tried meatloaf in the microwave before — I guess I’m not a big fan of actually “cooking” or “baking” in our microwave. We just use it to re-heat leftovers, but interesting to know you CAN cook a meatloaf in the microwave 🙂
Stephanie says
I haven’t made meatloaf in forever because 1lb just doesn’t seem enough for my family of 5 and I haven’t wanted to use more than a lb. But when we did have meatloaf I always added strips of bacon on top. Talk about a yummy flavor! Even if you don’t want to eat the bacon the flavor is amazing because it stripsdown into the meat.
I have heard of baking meatloaf on a broiler pan so that all the grease falls through the holes. I have never tried it though.
Andrea says
Sounds yummy with the bacon (we LOVE bacon).
Also, we almost always use 1.5 or 2 lbs of beef for a meatloaf as you’re right, 1 pound just isn’t enough (in our case, we like leftovers). Although 2 pounds of meat for one meal is a lot more than we would normally use, I figure it’s still WAY cheaper and tastier than ordering it at a restaurant, and a nice “splurge” every now and then 🙂
I think I’m definitely going to try your bacon idea next time! Thanks!
Michele says
Made this last night and my family LOVED it! Thank you!!
Andrea says
you’re welcome — glad you liked it!
Heather @ My Overflowing Cup says
Simple, but delicious. I used to make meatloaf a lot and then I started cooking meatballs because of the reduced cooking time. When I don’t have bread crumbs on hand, I use oats. I like to add chopped veggies when I have time, but leave them out when I am in a hurry. Love one bowl meals that can be prepped ahead of time and freeze well. Thanks for the recipe, Andrea!
laura says
One thing I can never understand about meatloaf is how to keep it all together? I always take it out of the oven, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and then slice to serve and it ALWAYS falls apart. Tastes great, however it never stays together, never! Drives me crazy. I do put a binder in the meat such as an egg or two if it is a larger meatloaf. Anyone have suggestions, and am I the only one this happens to?
Emily says
I used to have this same problem! 🙂 I read a great tip (see my comment above) about pressing your meatloaf into a 9×13 pan. Make a hole in the meat in the middle of the pan (should look like a rectangle shaped donut of meat). It helps the meat to cook evenly and mine doesn’t fall apart now. Hope this helps! 🙂
Sue says
Mine is basically the same.. I just do it in the crock pot.. I make a loaf and I put instead of the mustard,sugar etc on top.. I just pour over some tomato sauce..
Sue in NJ
Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says
Sometimes I make meatloaf just so I can eat a cold meatloaf sandwich the next day! I do love good meatloaf leftovers. My “Everyday Meatloaf” recipe is my Great-Grandma’s and very similar to yours. It’s one of my favorite meals!
beth engelsmsa says
i usually throw potatoes in the oven to bake with the meatloaf–easy and delish!!
Jessica Hanson says
This might seem like dumb question, I really love how you make doubles of recipient then freeze it have you done it/ would you recommend it with this one?
Sarah says
Every fall I make 6 meatloaves for the freezer! They freeze extremely well and defrost quickly! I freeze mine raw.
Amanda says
Yea, you def want to make sure at least one of the meats when you blend is a little fatty. We use a very lean beef, and mix it with ground sausage, so the sausage brings the fat to the party. I also use a packet of onion soup mix to help with the seasoning… otherwise, mine isn’t very different.
My husband loves meatloaf, and thanks to this post, he’s getting it tonight 🙂
Andrea says
Enjoy your meatloaf tonight!!
Charissa says
Is there a percentage of fat you prefer to have in your meat? Just thinking about which meat is the best meat to buy for meatloaf….
Andrea says
Oh boy, I don’t think I’m the person to ask about that. I just buy whatever is on sale 🙂
Kristen @ Joyfully Thriving says
I buy whatever’s on sale…but like to use 80 / 20 in my meatloaf, which is a very similar recipe to Andrea’s. I hope that helps, Charissa!
Siobhan says
Thanks so much. I’ve been wanting to look for an easy meatloaf recipe. I made your tilapia recipe last week…so good!
Andrea says
I hope you love this recipe too Siobhan. It’s simple, but tasty!
Trudy says
I make mine with ground turkey. I use italian seasoned breadcrumbs, to which I add a little more spice (usually garlic powder and Penzey’s Pasta Sprinkle)….then an egg. I always find that when working with turkey, you have to increase your seasoning or else it’s very bland.
Mix it all well, form into a loaf in a 9 x 13 glass dish. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes till the middle is done.
I don’t add ketchup to the top….it’s just plain. Isn’t it funny how every family does it a little bit different? And my family really loves it….
Andrea says
Hmmm… never considered this before. Then I could put more brown sugar on top 🙂
Mary says
I make a one dish meal when I make meatloaf. Instead of a loaf pan I use a roaster and put cubed potatoes and carrots all around the meatloaf. Yummy. Hubby also takes cold meatloaf sandwiches to work.
Emily says
My family loves meatloaf!! I found this tip years ago…instead of using a loaf pan, press the meat into a 9×13 and leave a hole in the middle (is should look like a rectangle shaped donut). It allows the meat to cook evenly and faster. My recipe is similar to yours but my cooking time is about 30-40 minutes. Yay for fall cooking!
Sherry says
My recipe is very similar but instead of bread crumbs I use boxed stuffing mix It adds a nice flavour to the meat. But the best part is the ketchup, mustard and brown sugar sauce on the top! To help with all the grease I make my meatloaf into a loaf shape but bake it on a cookie sheet so that the fat has enough room to spread out away from the meat. Meatloaf is a huge favourite around here. Especially cold on a sandwich the next day.