Did you grow up with meatloaf dinners? For many families, meatloaf night is eagerly anticipated. It’s a perfect make-ahead meal, a great way to turn ground meat into a hearty meal, and leftovers are fantastic. This is my family’s favorite meatloaf recipe, moist and juicy and flavorful, with a great texture, perfect for slicing. They also love this Greek turkey meatloaf as well.

To really experience that nostalgia, serve this classic meatloaf along with some classic accompaniments such as Herb Mashed Potatoes, The Best Parmesan Roasted Potatoes, or an Air Fryer Baked Potato.

Classic Meatloaf: The perfect meatloaf — rich and juicy and with a lovely glazey crust. A fantastic cold weather comfort food supper!

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter – To sauté.
• Onions, garlic, scallions, and carrots – Add depth and a pop of flavor.
• Salt and pepper – To taste.
• Cayenne pepper – For a subtle kick.
• Egg – Helps bind the ingredients.
• Dijon mustard – For a bit of spiciness and depth of flavor, you could even use horseradish if you want that extra oomph.
• Minced fresh parsley – For freshness.
• Ketchup – Both as a delicious tangy glaze on top and mixed into the meatloaf.
• Whole milk – Adds moisture to the breadcrumbs.
• Ground chuck – Use a chuck that has about 22 percent fat content.
• Ground pork – Adds a great additional flavor. Read more below.
• Dried plain breadcrumbs – As the meatloaf cooks, the breadcrumbs act as a binder, soak up excess juices, and help create the most tender and moist loaf. Use homemade breadcrumbs or store-bought.
• Bacon – Optional, but you know you want to!

What Kind of Meat to Use

While beef is the most typical meat to use in meatloaf, other ground meats can be used as well, either alone or in combination. For this classic, old-school meatloaf — the best version of the meatloaf many of us remember from our childhoods — we use a mixture of mostly beef and some pork. You can also use a meatloaf mix, which is available at most supermarkets and butcher counters. This is a blend of beef, pork, and veal and results in a very tender meatloaf.

Don’t use ground meat that is too lean; a higher fat content allows the meatloaf mixture to really hold together without becoming crumbly or dry. For the beef part, you want to use ground chuck, which has a fat content of about 20 percent.

How Do You Keep Meatloaf From Falling Apart?

There are several things that you can add and do to keep your meatloaf together and prevent it from falling apart. The first thing is to use ground meat with some fat and very finely minced vegetables and aromatics.

What does it mean to mince? It means to chop very finely. Continue to chop until you get your onions, carrots, garlic, herbs, and so on quite small. This will allow them to blend into the meat mixture thoroughly and allow the meatloaf mixture to become homogeneous and hold together during the shaping, baking, slicing, and serving.

I like to shape my meatloaf into a loaf shape. You can make it more of a rounded rectangle or an oval if you like. But you do have to make sure the meatloaf is cooked all the way through, even in the very center. However you shape it, the ends will become more well-cooked than the center.

The addition of eggs, ketchup, milk, and breadcrumbs also forms a binder that holds everything together and keeps it moist and juicy as it cooks.

How to Make Meatloaf

1. Sauté the vegetables: In a skillet with butter, sauté the onions, scallions, carrots, and garlic.
2. Make the meatloaf mixture: In a large bowl, combine the sautéed vegetables, salt, pepper, cayenne, eggs, and mustard or horseradish. Followed by 1/2 cup of the ketchup, the milk, the meat, and the breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly.
3. Shape and cook: Shape the meatloaf and place on a prepared baking dish. Use the remaining 1/2 cup of ketchup evenly over the top and side of the meatloaf in a thin glaze. If using the bacon, place it on top. Bake the meatloaf uncovered for 50 to 60 minutes at 350 degrees.
4. Rest and enjoy: Let the meatloaf rest for about 20 minutes before cutting it, and enjoy!

The Best Pan for Baking Meatloaf

You are looking for an exterior that is nicely glazed and lightly browned. The internal temperature of the meatloaf should read 160 degrees on an internal thermometer, whether a meat thermometer or an instant-read thermometer. The meatloaf should feel very firm when you press it lightly. The total cooking time for a meatloaf with 2 pounds of ground meat should be about 50 to 60 minutes.

Some of us who like meatloaf quite cooked and really enjoy that nice glazed, browned exterior — and a little more crustiness to the exterior — will go for the end pieces. Some of us prefer the juicy, large middle slices. Slices for everyone!

I always bake my meatloaf in a baking pan that is significantly larger than the meatloaf itself or a rimmed baking pan. This allows the meatloaf to bake rather than steam in a loaf pan. Also, more of the exterior of the meatloaf is exposed to the dry heat of the oven. Cooking it on a sheet pan or in an oversized baking dish allows all of the surface area of the meatloaf to brown up nicely and lets the extra fat run off into the pan rather than remain trapped in the meatloaf itself. This creates a perfect meatloaf texture inside and out, moist and not at all dry.

At What Temperature Do You Cook Meatloaf?

The most standard baking temperature for meatloaf, and the one called for in this recipe, is 350 degrees. I like to bake meatloaf at 350 instead of 400, which allows the meatloaf to cook through without becoming dry while the outside gets nicely browned and glazed. It also allows the bacon on top to cook through and crisp up if you are using it.

Leftovers and Storage

And the next day — meatloaf sandwiches! I had an old friend who was a sophisticated cook but relished a good meatloaf sandwich above almost everything else. I think of him every time I make one. Yes, it’s the ultimate comfort food for some. But comfort does not mean boring.

White bread is the classic bread of choice for meatloaf sandwiches, but that shouldn’t stop you from playing around with multigrain breads, rolls, sourdough, or whatever you have around. Good toppings are pickled anything (straight pickles, or maybe pickled onions, shallots, peppers…), sliced onions, lettuce, and tomatoes. Don’t overlook the condiments! Mayo (some folks prefer Miracle Whip), ketchup, mustard (Dijon, brown, yellow…), condiments like tapenades and horseradish, and cheese. Meatloaf sandwiches can be served warm, at room temperature, or cold — all are delicious.

Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

What to Serve With Meatloaf

Herb Mashed Potatoes

Chili Crunch Brussels Sprouts

Roasted Broccolini with Lemon

More Ground Beef Recipes

• Easy Ground Beef Enchiladas
• Meatball Sub Sandwich
• Meat Lasagna