Meatloaf – A Beautiful Mess

Since you are already here reading this, I probably don’t have to sell you on meatloaf. But, just in case, here’s my pitch. This meatloaf recipe is basically a giant meatball—and I love meatballs. It’s juicy, tender, full of flavor, and can be served with many different sides like mashed potatoes, pasta, or roasted vegetables. If you want to take it to the next level, add gravy. 🙂

Meatloaf will for me always be the kind of meal that conjures Sunday lunch after church. It’s both special and everyday, meaning you can make this recipe for a birthday dinner or just a regular weeknight meal. It’s a classic!

Related: Next up, try my stuffing meatballs, air fryer meatballs or learn how to broil a steak.

Ingredients

• Ground beef
• Onion
• Garlic
• Butter
• Eggs
• Milk
• Italian breadcrumbs
• Ketchup
• Italian seasoning
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Parmesan cheese – the powdery kind
• BBQ sauce
• Vinegar
• Fresh parsley

How to make the Best Meatloaf

First, finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Cook in the butter until soft, only a couple minutes.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk. This will form a kind of paste.

In a large bowl combine the ground beef, cooked onions and garlic, breadcrumbs and milk, eggs, 1 tablespoon ketchup, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and the Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.

On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, form the loaf from the meat mixture. I use a loaf pan to do this. I press the mixture into the pan and then flip it over onto the baking sheet. A few taps and it’s out. But if you don’t want to dirty a loaf pan, you can form the loaf by hand.

Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ketchup, BBQ sauce and vinegar. After the initial 45 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the glaze over the top. Bake for another 10-12 minutes. The meatloaf should reach an internal temperature of 160°F when done.

Allow the meatloaf to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it. This allows the juices and fat from the meat to settle.

Tips & Variations

• I don’t bake meatloaf in a loaf pan but rather on a baking sheet. Why? I like the crispy edges this method produces.
• You can replace up to half of the ground beef with another meat like ground pork or ground turkey. If you want to use all ground turkey, you can make turkey meatloaf.
• The addition of BBQ sauce in the meatloaf sauce is maybe a little controversial. I like the spicy tang it adds. But you can omit it and add a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. And if you are planning to serve this with gravy, you may want to skip the sauce altogether.
• If you are making this for a holiday meal, I highly recommend adding a few more fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme to make this smell and taste a little more like the holidays.
• An instant read meat thermometer is super helpful for any meat-based recipe, including this classic meatloaf recipe.
• Store any leftover meatloaf in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can use leftovers to make meatloaf sandwiches or simply rewarm in the microwave for another meal.

What to serve with Meatloaf?