Meatloaf recipe does not only look good with the caramelised shiny glaze on the outside; it tastes amazingly flavorful as well. Serving it with some fluffy mashed potatoes alongside some crunchy green beans to yield a satisfying food combination.
What Is Meatloaf?
Meatloaf has been a staple of American comfort food. It is basically ground beef mixed with spices and tons of different ingredients like onions, eggs, breadcrumbs, and formed in the loaf shape.
The loaf then is baked and can be topped with sauce. The most common meat used in meatloaf recipes is ground beef, but it can be lamb, pork, chicken, or turkey.
Each country has their own version of meatloaf recipe. In Europe, people serve the dish with sliced potatoes while in Middle East countries, meatloaf is the filling for kebab.
Simple to make and incredibly tasty, meatloaf is enjoyed and loved by many different cuisines in the world.
Is Meatloaf Healthy?
Combining a lot of ground beef or pork, meatloaf is often considered unhealthy. However, we can twist the ingredients and add more vegetables to turn the dish into a healthier yet still delicious dish.
1. Calories
Meatloaf is a good source of energy. One serving of our meatloaf recipe provides you 440 calories. Depending on the type of ground beef used, the calories will alter a bit. For recipes made from chicken or turkey, calories can be a little lower compared to beef or pork. If you watch the types of meat and serving size, you can stay within the daily recommended calories.
2. Carbs
This homemade meatloaf recipe contains 28 grams of carbohydrates, which account for about 9 percent of the recommended intake carbs for a day.
Meatloaf Ingredients
This meatloaf recipe is packed with delicious flavors and so easy to make. Simply mix all the ingredients, put in the pan, and the oven will do rest of the work for you.
The best part is that the recipe requires affordable ingredients that might be available in your kitchen.
1. Beef
We can use a variety of meat for meatloaf recipes; but nothing can beat lean ground beef.
The only thing should be noticed is that a high-fat meat like ground beef can be messy once being cooked. However, a proper ratio of beef with milk, egg, onion, and ketchup can help you avoid that problem and keep the shape intact.
It’s also important not to overmix the meat mixture, as it might result in a tough ending texture.
2. Eggs
Besides helping with binding the loaf, they also add richness to the meat.
3. Breadcrumbs
Breadcrumbs are a secret ingredient to keep the meatloaf in shape and make it less dense. It also adds fiber, which aids in digestion and keeps you full longer.
4. Milk
Some people think that eggs are enough to bind meat and other ingredients, but you need a little bit of liquid to soften the bread and get things going.
5. Onions
Onions is what makes a meatloaf recipe an amazing dish. The sweetness from this veg offers us a nice balance of cheese, meat, and the topping sauce.
Sautee the onions (and other vegetables if you like) on the small heat until they are tender and almost melt into the meatloaf. If you want a stronger taste, use white or red onions instead of white ones.
How to Make Meatloaf
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Step 2: In a small bowl, put the slices of bread and pour the milk over it. Let the bread sit for a few minutes, until it soaks up all the milk.
Step 3: Heat a pan over medium heat, cook the onion, carrot, and garlic with olive oil until they are soft. Let them cool down completely.
Step 4: In a large bowl, combine the beef, milk-soaked bread, cooked onion and carrot, parmesan, egg, parsley, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix until everything well-combined but don’t over mix.
Step 5: Place the beef mixture onto a baking sheet and form it into a loaf. Put it in the oven.
Step 6: In a small bowl, mix vegetables with olive oil.
Step 7: In another bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste, ketchup, onion powder, and garlic powder for the glaze.
Step 8: After 20 minutes in the oven, smear half of the glaze over the top of the meatloaf and place the vegetables around. Place the baking sheet back to the oven for 20 minutes.
Step 9: Smear the rest of the sauce on top. Bake for a further 15 minutes.
Step 10: Serve.
How Long to Cook Meatloaf
Generally the baking time will vary depending on the size of your meatloaf. For our recipe specifically, we use 14 oz ground beef, which need to be cooked at 350°F for 55 minutes.
At 400°F
At this temperature, the cooking time should be around 40-45 minutes.
At 375°F
If you bake your meatloaf at 375°F, go for about 45-50 minutes.
At 350°F
Your meatloaf needs at least 50 to 60 minutes to be cooked thoroughly at 350°F.
The best way to know that your meatloaf is done is to check the internal temperature of the meat with a thermometer. To be fully cooked, it should reach an internal temperature of 160°F.
Let your meatloaf rest until completely cool down at room temperature. This will ensure it does not fall apart and also allow the juices to absorb into the meat.
Sauce for Meatloaf
The glaze for this meatloaf recipe is as important as the meat. The glaze should have the right balance of sweetness and tangy.
Half of the glaze is spread over the top before baking and the other half is added during the baking process.
We use a mixture of ketchup, tomato paste, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard, brown sugar, ketchup, and paprika. This simple combination compliments the dish and gives it a nice touch of spices.
Meatloaf Topping
1. Cheesy
Add your favorite cheese on the top of the meatloaf. Any kind of cheese can turn an ordinary loaf into a cheesy and irresistible meal.
2. Gravy
Gravy is a sauce that is made from juice of meat or vegetables which then is thickened with cornstarch. This thick sauce adds tons of flavor to the meat.
How Long to Cook Meatloaf
Since we form meatloaf dense into a loaf pan, it takes a significant amount of time to bake. It also requires a low temperature during the baking process so that the outside doesn’t finish with a drying texture while the center is still not done.
What Goes with Meatloaf Recipe
Here is my list of some ingredients that are versatile and can work nicely in almost any kinds of meatloaf recipes.
1. Bacon
Bacon-wrapped meatloaf is an interesting twist to the classic meatloaf recipes. Bacon adds moist and keeps your loaf juicy on the inside while having crunchy edges on the outside.
2. Potatoes
To prevent the meatloaf from becoming too dry and also add moist after baking, you can add some mashed potatoes on the top.
3. Mushrooms
Mushrooms are always a great companion to meatloaf. For a vegetarian-friendly meatloaf recipe, you can omit the meat and use your favorite type of mushroom instead.
4. Oatmeal
The mixture of egg, oatmeal, and milk will help you bind the meat and chopped vegetables together. And not to worry, you won’t taste the oatmeal in the meatloaf at all.
5. Bread
Instead of using breadcrumbs to bind the loaf, there are some alternatives such as bread. Tearing up bread into small species to provide small pockets which helps to soften the meatloaf.
Can You Freeze Meatloaf?
It’s totally possible to make the meatloaf recipe ahead and freeze it if you don’t plan to eat it in the next day or so.
First, follow the recipe to combine the ingredients. Next, place a plastic wrap over a baking sheet and spray it generously with non-stick cooking spray to make it easier for the meatloaf to come off the wrap when we’re ready to bake it.
Then, form the meatloaf on the plastic wrap and wrap it carefully and securely to prevent freezer burn and cross-contamination from raw meat. Finally, the wrapped meatloaf is placed in an airtight freezer bag and lasts in the freezer up to 6 months.
When you are ready to bake the frozen meatloaf, let it thaw in the refrigerator the night before and proceed with the baking instructions.
How do You Warm up The Meatloaf?
Firstly, preheat the oven to about 220-240 degrees F. Temperature higher than this will lead to a dried out meatloaf.
Next, cover the leftover meatloaf with oven-proof foil to lock in moisture and help the meat cook evenly. Once the oven is ready, place the meatloaf inside and set the timer to 20 minutes.
After removing the meatloaf, let it cool out for a while, and your meatloaf is ready to be served.
How Long Does Meatloaf Last?
1. In the Fridge
Before placing your cooked meatloaf in the fridge, you should keep it in a shallow airtigh container or wrap it with plastic wrap. With a proper storage method, a meatloaf will last for 3 to 4 days.
2. In the Freezer
To lenghthen to shelf life of cooked meatloaf, you can freeze it. Simply place your meatloaf in an airtight container or wrap it with aluminum foil and keepp them in the freezer.
The meatloaf which is properly stored will last best quality for about 3 months.
What to Serve with Meatloaf
With a hearty meatloaf, people often head straight to a classic: mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables. However, the long baking time of meatloaf allows us to be creative.
So here are some options that complement your meatloaf recipe.
1. Sandwiches
A good side dish that can be served with meatloaf is sandwich. For a healhthier choice, you can choose whole-wheat sandwiches instead of the regular ones.
Meatloaf is already creamy and rich in flavor, so a simple side like sandwich will balance it out nicely.
2. Rice
Speaking of starch, rice is a side dish that can go well with almost any savory main dishes. Cooking rice also doesn’t take much time and effort to prepare.
Rice is bland on its own, but it can easily customzied depending on your preference. For a simple version, add some cilantro and a touch of salt to your steamed rice.
In case you want something fancy, fried rice is a great accompanient. A mixture of rice with peas, carrots, and eggs can’t go wrong with the meatloaf.
We recommend serving this flavorful meatloaf with fresh beetroot and feta cheese salad and watermelon lemonade on the side.
Here are the nutrition facts of the whole meal:
Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp garlic
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 1 medium egg
- 3/4 tbsp worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp traditional Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/3 cup milk
- 3 oz carrot
- 0.5 oz Amore tomato paste
- 14 oz 85% lean ground beef
- 1 oz shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp Heinz’s ketchup
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 oz baguette bread
- 4 oz onion
- 6 oz red onion
- 6 oz broccoli
- 8 oz bell pepper
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, put the slices of bread and pour the milk over it. Let the bread sit for a few minutes, until it soaks up all the milk.
- Heat a pan over medium heat, cook the onion, carrot, and garlic with 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes until they are soft. Let them cool down completely.
- In a large bowl, combine the beef, milk-soaked bread, cooked onion and carrot, parmesan, egg, parsley, worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Mix until everything well-combined but don’t over mix.
- Place the beef mixture onto a baking sheet and form it into a loaf. Put it in the oven.
- In a small bowl, mix vegetables with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In another bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, mustard, tomato paste, ketchup, onion powder, and garlic powder for the glaze.
- After 20 minutes in the oven, smear half of the glaze over the top of the meatloaf and place the vegetables around. Place the baking sheet back to the oven for 20 minutes, then smear the rest of the sauce on top. Bake for a further 15 minutes.
- Serve.
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The loaf is not dry at all and flavorful! Is it okay if I wanna serve it with rice?
when I was in high school, my mom would always make meatloaf for me to bring lunch. though this one taste different than her, it’s still delicious.