A classic Meatloaf Recipe for a weeknight family dinner! This tender, flavorful meatloaf is topped with a sweet and tangy glaze.
When making this meatloaf recipe, I realized that a meat loaf is like one giant meatball cut into slices! And with the fabulous glaze on top, it tastes like the glazed meatballs served at holiday parties and potlucks.
Everything You Need To Make Meatloaf
- Homemade Meatloaf Recipe Ingredients
- Glaze For Meatloaf
- How To Make Meatloaf
- Frequently Asked Questions About This Meatloaf Recipe
- What To Serve With Meatloaf
Homemade Meatloaf Recipe Ingredients
The ingredients need to make this classic meatloaf recipe include meat, sausage, breadcrumbs, and seasonings.
- Onion & Butter: You’ll need one small onion or about 1/2 cup chopped onion to saute in the butter.
- Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs: We use seasoned breadcrumbs for simplicity. Plain breadcrumbs can be used as well, but you will need to add seasonings for flavor.
- Whole Milk: The whole milk add moisture and fat. You can use skim or 1%, but the results won’t be quite the same.
- Eggs: The eggs help bind the meatloaf together as well as provide moisture and flavor.
- Freshly Grated Parmesan: The freshly grated parmesan adds flavor and helps bind the loaf together.
- Salt & Pepper: We added a little kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper for flavor.
- Ground Beef: For this meatloaf recipe, we used 80/20 ground beef for the most flavor and moisture.
- Ground Pork Sausage: In addition to the ground beef, we used ground pork sausage. You can swap the sausage out for more ground beef, but you’ll lose out on the added flavor!
Glaze For Meatloaf
- Ketchup: The glaze for this meatloaf starts with ketchup. It adds a sweet and tangy flavor.
- Brown Sugar: We used brown sugar to increase the sweetness and help the glaze caramelize.
- Ground Mustard: The ground mustard adds flavor and tanginess.
- Worcestershire Sauce: We added a little Worcestershire sauce for more depth of flavor.
How To Make Meatloaf
This meatloaf recipe is really easy to prepare. Baking the meatloaf is what takes the most time, so be sure you plan ahead to allow ample baking time.
Saute Onion: We sauteed the onions in butter before adding them to the meatloaf. Although you can use fresh onions if you prefer, this simple step adds so much flavor that we suggest you try it.
Breadcrumbs: While the sauteed onions are cooling, mix together the breadcrumbs, grated parmesan, eggs, milk, salt, and pepper.
Meats: Add ground beef, ground pork sausage, and onions to the breadcrumbs mixture. Stir the mixture until well combined. We found that it worked best to start with a spoon and then use your hands to finish.
Form Loaf: Once everything is combined, form the mixture into a loaf shape on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. You can also make this in a foil-lined loaf pan if you prefer.
Glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients and spread half of the mixture over the loaf. Set the remaining glaze aside to use later.
Cook: Bake the meatloaf for about 40 minutes; remove it from the oven, top it with the remaining glaze, and continue baking for 20-25 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The milk adds moisture and flavor. The milk is absorbed by the breadcrumbs and softens them. Then the breadcrumbs are mixed into the meat and add moisture rather than pull moisture from the meat.
We like baking meatloaf uncovered because it allows the outside of the meatloaf to brown and the glaze to caramelize.
You’ll want to use ground beef with a higher fat ratio. We used 80/20 in this meatloaf recipe. The ground pork sausage, milk, and eggs all add moisture as well.
Try using barbecue sauce, teriyaki sauce, balsamic glaze, or honey sesame glaze. Or you can skip the glaze and serve the meatloaf topped with gravy or cheese sauce instead.
What To Serve With Meatloaf
There are so many side dishes that can be served with this meatloaf recipe! Here are a few to try:
- Potatoes: The most popular side dish is potatoes. Try homemade Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Twice Baked Potatoes, or Oven-Roasted Potatoes.
- Vegetables: There are many other vegetables that go well with meatloaf. Try serving cooked broccoli, roasted asparagus, or roasted carrots.
- Salad: You can also a salad as a side dish. We love apple cranberry salad, 7 layer salad, and tomato cucumber salad.
- Bread: If you want to serve bread alongside your meatloaf, try homemade dinner rolls, breadsticks, or buttermilk biscuits.
Make These Classic Dinner Recipes Next
- Tater Tot Casserole has a creamy layer of ground beef, Italian sausage, green beans, and corn topped with crunchy tater tots and melted cheddar cheese.
- This Easy Sloppy Joes Recipe is a classic favorite of kids of all ages! Serve on toasted hamburger buns with potato chips and dill pickles.
- Crispy Chicken Parmesan, topped with sauce and melted mozzarella, is a restaurant favorite that you can make at home! Your family will love it!
- This simple Meat Pie recipe with ground beef, tender potatoes, shredded carrots, and flaky puff pastry brings me back to my childhood!
Meatloaf Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup fresh grated parmesan
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground pork sausage
- ½ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and saute for 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
- Put the seasoned breadcrumbs, freshly grated parmesan, eggs, milk, black pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the ground beef, ground pork sausage, and onions. Mix well.
- Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar, ground mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Spread half of the mixture over the meatloaf.
- Bake at 350˚F for 40 minutes. Pour the remaining sauce over the top and continue to bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 160˚F. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Faith says
We love this meatloaf! Every time I make it, everyone really enjoys it. Leftovers are good sliced and fried in a pan.
Tonia Larson says
That’s awesome! My daughter has been asking me to make this again!
Faith says
This meatloaf recipe is SO good! My adult Son said it is the best meatloaf he has ever had.
I will be making this recipe again soon.
Tonia Larson says
Thank you Faith! I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as we do.
MALIK TAHIR says
I LOVE TO COOK FOR MY WIFE.
MALIK TAHIR says
I LOVE THESE RECIPES
Margaret Ulshafer says
Awsome recipe thank you Maggie