Meatloaf recipe?

[left-of-center2012]

I would like a really good recipe for meatloaf,
but not one that has a zillion ingredients or takes a college degree to make.

Any suggestions?
Thanks

[elleng]

1. James Beard's, I used it many times.

JAMES BEARD MEATLOAF
2 lbs. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fairly lg. onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 crumbled bay leaf
1/2 tsp. crumbled thyme leaves
1 tsp. freshly chopped green pepper
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
2 eggs
Bacon or salt pork
Mix all ingredients, except bacon, thoroughly blended. Form into a long loaf or cake and press firmly. Arrange enough slices of bacon or salt pork on the bottom of a baking pan to hold the meat loaf. Brush the loaf with butter and cross with 2 to 4 additional slices of bacon. Bake at 325 degrees, basting occasionally, for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours, or until meat loaf is cooked through. Let stand for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

[left-of-center2012]

5. Thanks, but ...

That's the kind of recipe with a zillion ingredients I'm trying to avoid.
As a disabled, senior citizen I'm looking for something more basic, yet not bland.

[elleng]

6. Gotcha.

The bacon adds a lot, so I suggest you try to incorporate it in whatever recipe you use.

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

15. One thing I like to do is take a few prunes and the bacon

And run them through the food processor, then add that to the meatloaf mixture. The bacon is distributed through the meatloaf, and the prunes add a bit of sweetness and some texture.

[left-of-center2012]

19. The bacon adds a lot

What about the bacon grease?

[Arkansas Granny]

2. My family meat loaf recipe is more of a formula.

For each lb. of ground beef add 1 egg, 1 slice fresh bread,crumbled and moistened with a little milk, 1/4 cup chopped onion, an 8 Oz. can tomato sauce and salt & pepper. Mix well, shape into a loaf in a baking pan, coat the top with catsup and bake at 350 for about an hour or until done. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

This was my grandmother's recipe and it's really basic. I find that the amount of tomato sauce can vary. I don't add it all at once, but kind of go by feel. You want a soft mixture, but not soupy.

[left-of-center2012]

8. Sounds interesting

Thanks. I'll give it a try.

[Freddie]

3. "Family Meatloaf"

1.5 lb lean ground beef
1 can tomato soup
1 tbsp + 1 tsp Worchestersire sauce (div.)
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup dried plain breadcrumbs
2 tsp brown sugar

Oven 350
In large bowl, loosen meat with fork. Mix with egg, milk, 1 tbsp worchestersire, onions and 1/3 of the can of soup. Stir in breadcrumbs and form into loaf. Place in loaf pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 1 hour. Mix the rest of the can of tomato soup with 1 tsp worchestersire and the brown sugar, set aside.
After 1 hour remove foil, drain off fat and bake another 15 min uncovered. Then cover loaf (top and sides) with the tomato soup glaze, bake another 15 min. Let stand 5-10 min before serving.
This is so yummy, moist and flavorful. One of my favorite weekend dinners as it takes over 1.5 hours (with prep) but worth it. I usually just put potatoes to bake in the oven too.

[mopinko]

4. not a recipe, but

i always like to use some nice spicy ground sausage. balance it out w some ground turkey, maybe.
to me a meatloaf requires at least 3 kinds of meat.

[left-of-center2012]

7. quote: "... to me a meatloaf requires at least 3 kinds of meat"

Used to be the three kinds of meat was 1 pound ground beef, and 1/4 pound each pork and veal.
I haven't seen ground pork or veal in ages.

[mopinko]

13. yeah, that's what i grew up with.

but there is always bacon.

[csziggy]

9. My Mom made this one

2 pounds ground beef (can use ground turkey & pork - turkey by itself is too dry)
1 cup oatmeal
1 envelope Lipton's Onion Soup Mix (or whatever flavor you have in the pantry)
some catsup or BBQ sauce or A-1 (I just use whatever in the fridge I want to use up)
2 eggs

Mix together thoroughly, put into a loaf pan. Squirt catsup and/or BBQ or A-1 sauce on top. Cook for 1 hour at 350 F.

It's easy and I much prefer the texture of the oatmeal to meatloaf made with bread fillers. Since I vary the sauce and the soup mix flavors, it never turns out quite the same so it doesn't get boring.

[Kali]

10. I use cracker crumbs but am intrigued by oatmeal

do you use regular or quick cooking? I have never tried it because I only have the old fashioned long cooking kind and I worry it will be too "much" texture.

[csziggy]

11. It doesn't seem to make a difference

I've used both - just don't use instant, it gets mushy.

I think the original added more liquid than I usually add - if using old fashioned, that might make a difference.

I think Mom combined these two recipes:
Quaker Prize-Winning Meatloaf
http://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipe/prize-winning-meatloaf.aspx

Souperior Meatloaf
http://www.makinglifebetter.com/recipes/detail/9252/1/souperior-meatloaf

[Kali]

12. cool, thanks

I want to try it, oats are obviously more healthy than white flour bread or crackers. Not that meatloaf is health food, but still...

[csziggy]

16. I've joked that the cholesterol cutting benefits of oatmeal offset the beef

In the meatloaf. A dietician once lost it when I told her that - she was so much we had to end our call. On the other hand, my cholesterol tends to run very low considering my genetics and the levels in the rest of my family!

[left-of-center2012]

17. Souperior Meatloaf

Think I'll give this a try.

[csziggy]

21. Be careful about adding any salt to this

Usually there is more than enough for me and I don't salt the meat when using the soup mix. I've been getting away from using the mixes and adding seasonings from my spice cabinet, but that takes longer and is less convenient.

[SheilaT]

14. I use the Williams meatloaf seasoning mix.

I haven't made meatloaf in a long time, not since I still had kids at home, but this was the only thing that made palatable meat loaf. I tried various recipes, and they all came out awful. The Williams mix? No fail.

added on edit: As I recall, you take 1 pound ground beef, and egg, the packaged seasoning, and some water. Mix well, form into a loaf, and bake. Nothing could be easier.

[left-of-center2012]

18. Cornbread in meatloaf?

I've read recipes which use oatmeal, bread crumbs, stuffing, etc. as a "filler".
Has anyone tried cornbread?
Thought that might be good.

[azurnoir]

20. 11/2-2 ibs 93% ground beef 1 12oz roll sausage and bacon sausage

1 stack pack crackers rolled into crumbs or 3/4 cup oatmeal 1-2 eggs 2-3 tbls Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder to taste 1tsp-1 tbls 1 small onion chopped

that's it

bake at 375- 400 for about 70-90 minutes checking for browning

[dem in texas]

22. My meatloaf recipe

Meatloaf is all about the flavor of the extra ingredients added to the meat. I can't imagine a meatloaf without onions in it, plus a little celery is always good. I love bell pepper in mine, but nobody in my family likes them, so I started putting them on top of the meatloaf so the bell pepper haters can pull them off. But I found that cooking the bell pepper on top of the meatloaf actually improves their flavor.

1 1/2 to 2 lbs ground beef ( I like chuck, or ground sirloin will work)
3 pieces of white bread soaked in milk
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 package original dry onion soup mix
1 egg
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/3 cup catsup
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon black pepper
More catsup (1/2 to 3/4 cup)
Green Bell Pepper strips (Optional)

Place meat in large mixing bowl, remove bread from milk and squeeze milk out of bread and add bread to meat, discard milk. Add other ingredients and using hands mix well until all ingredients are incorporated into the meat. You can also use a food processor to mix and you will get a more dense meat loaf.


Spray baking dish with no stick spray. Form meat mixture into loaf and place in pan. Using extra catsup, spread the catsup over the loaf like you are icing a cake. Lay the bell pepper strips on top of the meat loaf.

Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in 325 degree oven for about one hour. If liquid has collected around meatloaf, pour it off and remove cover from meatloaf and bake for about 15 more minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before slicing. This meatloaf hold together and slices well. It tastes great cold and makes great meatloaf sandwiches.

I have made meat loaf with other meats besides beef but other meats are usually added for the fat and I try to use lean meat when I can. I have made meatloaf with oatmeal and it is okay, but tends to burn easily. I have made it with crushed cornflakes and that is better than the oatmeal version, but still like the wet bread method best as it makes the meat stay together better and then it slices better. And most important, it slices well when cold for a meatloaf sandwich. We love cold meatloaf sandwiches at my house!

[AwakeAtLast]

23. An unconventional one

I found it in a family cookbook and have been using it ever since because my picky eaters ask for it:

1 1/4 pounds meat (your choice, I use ground chuck or sirloin if it's on sale)
18-20 saltines crushed fine
1 egg
1/4 c milk (can add more if needed)
3 T A-1 steak sauce (my daughter will try to sneak in more
1 T minced onion
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t salt
1 t poultry seasoning

Mix, shape, bake at 325 for an hour or so - until juices run clear.

There is a tomato/vinegar based topping that is supposed to go on it, but my family likes plain tomato paste slathered on top. They are kind of strange, but it has grown on me.

[Phentex]

25. Never thought of steak sauce...

Lately my meatloaf has been low sodium to the point of lacking flavor.

My meatloaf is a mix of the ones I see already posted.

I am bookmarking this thread for later. There are many good ideas here!

[grasswire]

24. our favorite forever

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
2/3 cup oats
cup milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp pepper
2 eggs
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 T worcestershire sauce if desired

for topping: 1/2 cup catsup, 2 T brown sugar, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

If I need to have it cook more quickly, I split into two parts.

This recipe is from Sunset Cook Book of Favorite Recipes from the 1960s and has always been our standard.

[eridani]

26. i use oatmeal also

1 lb ground beef + 1 lb ground pork (or more ground beef if you don't have pork)
8 oz can of tomato sauce
1 egg
1 cup oatmeal
1 small onion, chopped
Salt, pepper, oregano and basil to taste.

Mix all but meat thoroughly and let the oatmeal absorb moisture for 10 min or so. Mix in meat, press into loaf pan and bake at 350F for 40-45 min.

[msanthrope]

27. Italian meatloaf...makes its own crust.....

11/2 lbs meatloaf mix (ask the butcher.)
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup bread crumbs.....panko is best
1/2 cup parmesan
One egg
Thyme parsley basil oregano, garlic.
Tomato paste

Mix the milk, egg, crumbs, and cheese. Then the meat.....with your hands. Throw in the spices as you like, put it in a pan and top it with tomato paste. I throw a shot of red wine on it, too.

[freshwest]

29. Sounds like the meatballs I used to make. What they had and how I made them:

Ground beef, dry parmesan cheese, minced garlic, parsley, egg and french bread.

Wet the french bread with water until it tears apart. Mix the beef, parmesan, garlic, parsley. bread amd an egg.

Then mix with fingers all the way through (eek!) and make a loaf to check the texture.

Heat up a pan with oil and add spoonfuls of the meatballs and fry until golden brown, then place on paper towels or a rack.

They can be frozen to use later. My problem was the family ate them faster than I could make enough to serve with sphagetti and marinara. They were all crisp and savory.

I was taught that the parmesan was the salt and the garlic was the pepper. I guess one could make a meatloaf that way.

[msanthrope]

31. Yeah--it's a meatball recipie, too. I used to wring out the bread, but now I just use the panko.

The meatloaf mix from the butcher is equal parts veal, beef, and pork. When I make meatballs, I add a pinch of nutmeg, and some lemon zest.

I bake my meatballs now.....they have enough fat content that they go crisp.

[trof]

28. Try 1 lb. ground beef mixed with 1/2 lb. pork sausage.

I love this combo for meatloaf and burgers.

[hippywife]

30. Simple Golden Mushroom Meatloaf

I believe I've posted this one before, but it's been years, so here ya go.

Per each pound of ground chuck:

1 egg
1/2 can tomato paste
1/3-1/2 cup grated parmesan (yes, the stuff in the green can)
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Form into loaves and bake at 350 for approx. 40 mins.

For gravy:

Sliced mushrooms of your choice
1 can Campbell's Golden Mushroom Soup (not cream of mushroom)
Worcestershire sauce, cinnamon and garlic powder to taste (I can't give you exact amounts or even an estimate, just add a little at a time and you'll be able to taste when you hit just the right amounts.)

Mix well and pour over meat loaves after they have baked for 40 mins. and return to oven for another 10 mins. or so, until loaves are completely done inside.


Hey, y'all! How goes it?