I promised you my easy meatloaf recipe and here it is. I don’t know why it took me so long to share it. Perhaps because our collective tastes in food have changed considerably over the years – preferring lighter fare these days. It’s also been one of those go-to recipes I just make without thinking about adding it to the blog, but sometimes nothing beats a really good, old-fashioned, home-cooked meal.
If you’ve ever had a bad meatloaf experience, I’m very sorry. I understand how it can frame your perception of the dish. A dry, flavorless meatloaf can be the death knell of an otherwise exceptional home-cooked dinner. Heck, even the name is a terrible marketing blunder. I’m a self-proclaimed word nerd, and just the sound of the word meatloaf rings increasingly strange in my ears whenever I repeat it a few times out loud. The shaping of meat into a loaf is an odd concept to me as well, and yet there’s something strangely comforting about a really good meatloaf.
And that is exactly what this is – a really good meatloaf. This traditional meatloaf recipe uses simple ingredients you can find anywhere – onions, sweet red peppers, a little salt, a little pepper, eggs to bind everything together, and Panko breadcrumbs to retain its moisture and flavor. A touch of sweet BBQ sauce and ketchup delivers a hint of nostalgia to this dish – a call back to Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house.
This is sweater weather, fall fare. Served with a side of mashed potatoes and peas, please, this moist meatloaf recipe is comfort food at its best. If this sounds right up your alley, read on to get the details on this simple dish, then go gather your ingredients, and get to loafing!
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How to Make This Ridiculously Easy Meatloaf Recipe
The secret to this traditional meatloaf recipes lies in the use of simple ingredients to add flavor, retain the meat’s natural juices, and bind everything together without compromising the texture.
In this recipe, we start by sauteing the onions and sweet red bell peppers in olive oil over medium heat for approximately seven minutes – or until the vegetables have softened and caramelized. All those yummy brown bits mean flavor!
A 50/50 meat blend of ground beef and ground pork is used to add flavor and moisture to this dish.
Eggs add richness and bind all the ingredients together, while Panko breadcrumbs help retain the meat’s juices without adding a competing flavor. When I make a meatloaf at home, I prefer to use Panko breadcrumbs over oatmeal like my mother used to use. I’ve always been acutely sensitive to flavors and smells – a good problem when you like to cook. However, the flavor of oatmeal in her meatloaf always penetrated my palate more than I liked (sorry, mom). For this reason, I choose to work with unseasoned Panko breadcrumbs when I make this traditional meatloaf recipe.
Finally, I keep the seasoning simple and I don’t go overboard with the ketchup in this recipe. Three tablespoons of ketchup and 1/4 cup of a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce go into the meat mixture. If I’m not making my own, Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ Sauce is my go-to. If you can’t find Sweet Baby Ray’s Original in your area, choose a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce for a comparable result. A little salt, a little pepper added to the mix and an additional two tablespoons of BBQ sauce spread across the top of the loaf at the end of the baking cycle and that is it!
Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
What is the most difficult part of this whole recipe? Waiting 15 minutes before removing the meatloaf from the pan and attempting to slice it. Letting the meatloaf rest after baking gives it time to reabsorb some of the juices that have rendered during the baking process and ensures it is set for easier slicing. Don’t be tempted to skip this step.
How to Remove the Meatloaf From the Pan Without Destroying the Shape
If you have a special pan with an insert that allows you to easily lift and remove the meatloaf from the pan without breaking it, you are in fine shape. If you don’t have a fancy-pants pan, there’s a simple hack you can use that will deliver the exact same result.
Fold a piece of aluminum foil into thirds and create a strip that lines the bottom of the pan and extends past the sides. These “wings” that extend past the sides of the pan become your handles for lifting out the finished meatloaf.
What to Serve with this Delicious Meatloaf
That’s really up to you, but unless you have a very specific memory of always pairing meatloaf with a certain vegetable or starch, you can never go wrong with a generous side of creamy mashed potatoes and green peas. When making a meatloaf, I’ll make the mashed potatoes shown right, but leave out the horseradish.
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Blessings & enjoy!
Easy Meatloaf Recipe in 90 Minutes
Course: MainsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes1
hour10
minutes15
MinutesThis traditional meatloaf recipe uses simple ingredients and a hint of nostalgia to deliver a moist and delicious meatloaf – a call back to Sunday dinner at Grandma’s house.
Ingredients
1/2 cup white onion – 1/4 inch dice
1/2 cup sweet red bell pepper, 1/4 inch dice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 cup plain Panko breadcrumbs
2 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup Sweet Baby Ray’s Original BBQ sauce or another comparable sweet and tangy BBQ sauce
3 Tbsp. ketchup
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
An additional 2 Tbsp. BBQ sauce for finishing the meatloaf.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare a loaf pan by lining it with aluminum foil as shown above if not using a specialized baking pan. Set aside.
- In a medium-size saute pan, cook the onions and peppers in 1 Tbsp. of olive oil until tender and lightly browned – approximately 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature before adding to the meat mixture.
- In a large bowl, add the beef, pork, cooled vegetables, breadcrumbs, eggs, 1/4 BBQ sauce, ketchup, salt, and pepper. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer the meat mixture to the baking pan and shape into a loaf. Bake at 350 degrees F. uncovered for 50 minutes.
- After 50 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven, spread the remaining 2 Tbsp. of BBQ sauce across the top of the loaf and return it to the oven to finish baking for 15-20 minutes, or until the center reads 160 degrees F. when tested with a thermometer.
- Remove the finished meatloaf from the oven and allow it to rest in the pan for 15 minutes before removing and slicing.
- Use a sharp serrated carving knife for best results when slicing.
