Growing up in the Midwest, Meatloaf was a staple on our family dinner table. Pair it with some really good mashed potatoes and peasโฆ doesn't that just scream comfort food!? I am so excited to share this Homemade Meatloaf Recipe, just like my Mom and Grandma made. Instead of reinventing something that is perfect as is, I focused on perfecting the details; a blend of beef and pork for perfect texture, a cracker panade that keeps it juicy, and just the right seasonings to flavor the meatloaf all the way through. The finishing touch is a ketchup, brown sugar glaze, baked until it's caramelized on top.
This recipe uses a panade and onions to keep the meatloaf super juicy and tender. It will melt in your mouth!
When you serve this meatloaf dinner with mashed potatoes and green beans or peas this will for sure be a five star dinner for your family!
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Meatloaf Recipe
The meatloaf doesn't dry out, thanks to the panade that starts the recipe. It helps keep everything juicy and tender.
Combining ground beef and ground pork create the best flavor and texture.
The mix of Worcestershire, fresh garlic, onions, onion powder, and seasoned salt flavor the meatloaf all the way through.
The special ketchup brown sugar glaze is SO good. It caramelizes to a tangy sweet flavor on top.
Free forming the meatloaf and cooking on a rimmed baking sheet, instead of in a loaf pan, ensures that you don't have a greasy meatloaf.
Classic Meatloaf Recipe Ingredients
Ground Beef: Use an 85/15 ground beef. It will have enough fat to be flavorful but not so much that you’ll have a greasy meatloaf.
Ground Pork: Make sure you buy ground pork, not sausage. It will be a very light pink in color and is super economical.
Onions and Garlic: These are the aromatics that lend a ton of flavor. The onions also help to keep your meatloaf tender and juicy.
Saltine Crackers, Milk and Eggs: These three ingredients make a panade for your meatloaf, keeping it juicy and tender. We use a panade in all our meatloaf, meatball and burger recipes here at Mom’s Dinner!
What Is a Panade?
A panade is a mixture of a starch, (usually bread, panko breadcrumbs or crushed crackers) and a liquid ( traditionally milk, water, or broth) to keep a ground meat recipe tender and juicy.
Ketchup: This is a classic ingredient for the top of a meatloaf, but we are also using it inside to add flavor and moisture.
Worcestershire: I would put Worcestershire in every recipe if it made sense! I love the deep spiced flavor that it lends to any recipe, especially meatloaf!
Kosher Salt, Black Pepper, Onion Powder & Lawry’s: Spices and seasonings to add a ton of flavor.
Parsley: A little verdant fresh note to a very savory recipe. Use the extra chopped parsley to garnish the top.
How to Make This Old Fashioned Meatloaf Recipe
- Mix Ketchup Topping
- Sautรฉ Onions and Garlic
- Mix Panade
- Make Meatloaf Mixture
- Form Meatloaf
- Bake
Stir together the ketchup topping ingredients and then set aside.
Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat, once hot, add the onions, salt, pepper and Lawry’s. Sautรฉ for about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and sautรฉ 1 minute.
Remove from the heat and add the Worcestershire, onion powder, parsley and ketchup. Stir again and then let cool for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl whisk together the milk and eggs, then add the crumbled saltine crackers. Give it a good stir and let it sit for about 5 minutes.
To the cracker panade add the cooled onion mixture, both the ground beef and ground pork. Mix everything so it is well combined.
Turn the meatloaf mixture out onto a prepared rimmed baking sheet (covered in foil or parchment, sprayed with non-stick spray). Form into a classic meatloaf shape, about 11″x 4″ in size.
Pour about ยฝ of the ketchup topping over the meatloaf and spread out evenly. Reserve the rest of the ketchup topping for serving.
Bake the meatloaf at 350ยฐF for about 50 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches at least 160ยฐF.
To Make The Special Ketchup Topping
We keep the topping super simple on these Meatloaf Muffin Cups, just ketchup, nothing else. But, for this big Classic Meatloaf recipe we wanted to make the ketchup topping a little more special.
Ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard and tabasco.
Meatloaf ketchup topping.
This topping is a mixture of ketchup, dry mustard, brown sugar, and a little tabasco. Stir it all together and it bakes up perfectly on top of the Meatloaf.
What to Serve With The Best Meatloaf Recipe
Classic Meatloaf is a great Traditional Family Dinner recipe! Make sure you have some classic side dishes that match up; like mashed potatoes and green beans . Here are some we love:
- Green Beans or Roasted Carrots
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes
- Raspberry Jell-O Fluff Salad
- Deviled Eggs
- Rolls and Butter
How To Store Beef Meatloaf Leftovers
Keep any leftover meatloaf in an airtight container in the fridge. It will be good in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can reheat slices in the microwave or pan fry them in a skillet (meatloaf sandwiches are amazing).
To reheat a larger portion pop it in a 350ยฐF oven for 15-20 minutes until it is warmed through. If you have a large piece left you may want to cut it in half when warming in the oven so it will reheat faster.
More Meatloaf Recipes To Try
Beef Meatloaf Recipe
Equipment
- foil for easy clean up!
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion - finely diced
- 4 cloves garlic - - minced
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ยพ tsp. seasoned salt - (Lawry's)
- ยฝ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 Tbsp. ketchup
- 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- โ cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 3 Tbsp. milk
- 2 large eggs
- 17 saltine crackers - very finely crushed - think breadcrumb texture
Ketchup Topping
- 1 cup Ketchup
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 ยฝ tablespoon brown sugar
- ยฝ teaspoon Tabasco - (up to 1 tsp)
Instructions
Ketchup Topping
- In a bowl mix together the topping and set aside.1 cup Ketchup, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 ยฝ tablespoon brown sugar, ยฝ teaspoon Tabasco
Meatloaf
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐ. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and spray with non stick spray.
- In a skillet over medium heat add the olive oil and once hot add the onions kosher salt, seasoned salt and black pepper. Sautรฉ and soften for about 4-6 minutes.2 Tbsp. Olive oil, 1 large yellow onion, 1 tsp. kosher salt, ยพ tsp. seasoned salt, ยฝ tsp. black pepper
- Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the onion powder, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and parsley. Set aside to cool.4 cloves garlic, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1 Tbsp. ketchup, 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce, โ cup flat leaf parsley finely chopped
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl whisk together the 3 Tbsp. milk and eggs. Add the crushed saltines and stir to combine. Let sit for about 5 minutes for the crackers to absorb some of the liquid.3 Tbsp. milk, 2 large eggs, 17 saltine crackers - very finely crushed
- To the cracker and egg mixture, add the ground beef, ground pork and the onion mixture. Mix lightly with your hands or a fork until just combined Pro Tip: mix it enough so that the pork and beef and distributed and not in large clumps, but do not overmix or the meatloaf will be compact and tougher.1 pound 85% lean ground beef, 1 pound ground pork
- Turn the meatloaf mixture out onto the prepared baking sheet, shape the meat mixture into a loaf form that is approximately 11"x4" in size. Generously spread about ยฝ – ยพ of the sauce evenly over the top of the meatloaf. (reserve the rest of the sauce for serving)
Baking
- Bake for 45-50 minutes until the internal temperature of the meatloaf registers 160 degrees.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
Serving
- Slice into 1 inch thick slices, serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
Recipe Tips and Notes:
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Green Beans or Roasted Carrotsย
- Raspberry Jello Full
- Rolls and Butterย
