Best 9 Basic Lean Meat Loaf Recipes

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If you're in the mood for a comforting, flavorful, and protein-packed meal, look no further than the classic lean meatloaf. This beloved dish has been a staple in kitchens across the globe for generations, and for good reason. Made with a combination of lean ground beef, pork, or turkey, along with a carefully selected blend of herbs, spices, and seasonings, meatloaf is a true crowd-pleaser. Whether you prefer a traditional recipe passed down through generations or a modern twist with unexpected ingredients, there's a basic lean meatloaf recipe out there to suit every taste and occasion.

Let's cook with our recipes!

MEAT LOAF



Meat Loaf image

Nothing says classic comfort like Ina Garten's Meatloaf recipe from Barefoot Contessa on Food Network.

Provided by Ina Garten

Categories     main-dish

Time 1h25m

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 tablespoon good olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onions (3 onions)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup canned chicken stock or broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (81 percent lean)
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (recommended: Progresso)
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup ketchup (recommended: Heinz)

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Off the heat, add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Allow to cool slightly.
  • In a large bowl, combine the ground chuck, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and eggs, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meat loaf will be dense. Shape the mixture into a rectangular loaf on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper. Spread the ketchup evenly on top. Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until the internal temperature is 160 degrees F and the meat loaf is cooked through. (A pan of hot water in the oven, under the meat loaf, will keep the top from cracking.) Serve hot.

BEST EVER MEAT LOAF



Best Ever Meat Loaf image

The best meat loaf I have ever found. Try it and you will see.

Provided by Matt O

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Meatloaf Recipes     Beef Meatloaf Recipes

Time 1h20m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 eggs
⅔ cup milk
2 teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
3 slices bread, crumbled
1 ½ pounds ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded carrot
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  • Whisk eggs, milk, salt, and ground black pepper in a large bowl. Add crumbled bread and stir until dissolved. Mix ground beef, onion, Cheddar cheese, and carrot into bread mixture; transfer mixture to a 9x5-inch loaf pan. Combine brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard in a small bowl; spread over meat mixture.
  • Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 409.5 calories, Carbohydrate 22.3 g, Cholesterol 155 mg, Fat 22.7 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 28.4 g, SaturatedFat 10.3 g, Sodium 1227.3 mg, Sugar 14.4 g

SIMPLE MEAT LOAF



Simple Meat Loaf image

Craving the homey taste of mom's kitchen? With this recipe, your kitchen will soon fill with the aroma of great dinnertime memories, and you can enjoy this traditional favorite in under an hour. Meat loaf is economical and great for leftovers. Never made it before? No need to worry, it's simple to prepare using the following recipe from our Test Kitchen.

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 50m

Yield 4 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 8

1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons 2% milk
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons meat loaf seasoning mix
1 pound lean ground beef
Additional ketchup, optional

Steps:

  • In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into a loaf and place in an 8-in. square baking dish coated with cooking spray., Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until no pink remains and a thermometer reads 160°. Serve with additional ketchup if desired.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 239 calories, Fat 11g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 123mg cholesterol, Sodium 493mg sodium, Carbohydrate 10g carbohydrate (3g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 25g protein.

BASIC MEAT LOAF



Basic Meat Loaf image

Since I can't have much salt, I've come up with a recipe for easy meatloaf that is really tasty without it. -Lillian Wittler, Wayne, Nebraska

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 1h

Yield 5 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup 2% milk
3 slices whole wheat bread, torn into pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
3 tablespoons ketchup

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk egg and milk. Add bread; let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in onion, Worcestershire sauce and seasonings. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well., Shape into a loaf in a greased 11x7-in. baking pan. Bake, uncovered, for 35 minutes; drain. , Spoon ketchup over loaf. Bake until a thermometer reads 160°, 10-20 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 226 calories, Fat 10g fat (4g saturated fat), Cholesterol 96mg cholesterol, Sodium 276mg sodium, Carbohydrate 12g carbohydrate (5g sugars, Fiber 1g fiber), Protein 22g protein. Diabetic Exchanges

EASY PLEASING EXTRA LEAN MEATLOAF



Easy Pleasing Extra Lean Meatloaf image

A slightly altered recipe from Kraft Canada's Easy Pleasing Meatloaf. I've made it a few times and really like it; it lives up to it's name quite well. This would probably work with other kinds of meats as well as meatless mixtures.

Provided by loranne_bronze22

Categories     One Dish Meal

Time 1h15m

Yield 1 meatloaf, 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 lbs extra lean ground beef
1 (120 g) chicken stove top stuffing mix
1 cup water
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup ketchup, divided (or a full cup if you like ketchup as much as I do)

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 375°F.
  • Place meat, stuffing mix, water, eggs and 1/4 cup ketchup in large bowl.
  • Mix just until blended.
  • Shape into loaf in 13x9-inch baking dish.
  • Top with remaining ketchup. Bake 1 hour or until meatloaf is done (160ºF).

BASIC LEAN MEAT LOAF



Basic Lean Meat Loaf image

Provided by Florence Fabricant

Categories     dinner, weekday, main course

Time 1h45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 1/3 cups finely chopped onion
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup, packed, fine fresh white or whole wheat bread crumbs
1 1/2 pounds ground lean beef
White of 1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon finely minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon finely minced fresh sage
1 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Basic lean tomato sauce (optional), or ketchup

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Heat a nonstick skillet, add onion and cook over low heat, stirring, about five minutes, until the onion starts to soften. Add garlic, stir, and cook over low heat 10 to 15 minutes longer, until onion and garlic start to brown. Remove from heat.
  • While the onion and garlic are cooking, put the bread crumbs in a bowl, moisten with half a cup of water and allow to soak.
  • Put the ground beef in a mixing bowl, the bowl of an electric mixer or a food processor. Add the egg white, cooked onion and garlic, thyme, sage, vinegar, tomato paste, salt and pepper. Squeeze out be bread crumbs and add them. Mix all the ingredients until they are very well blended by hand, with an electric beater or in a food processor.
  • Pack the mixture into a loaf pan 8 by 4 by 2 inches. Put in the oven and bake an hour and 15 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and pour all the liquid in the pan into a bowl. Skim off all the fat. Use the remaining juices as a light sauce for the meat loaf or add them to the tomato sauce. Serve with tomato sauce if desired, or prepared ketchup.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 374, UnsaturatedFat 6 grams, Carbohydrate 29 grams, Fat 9 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 43 grams, SaturatedFat 4 grams, Sodium 645 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 0 grams

HEALTHIER EASY MEATLOAF



Healthier Easy Meatloaf image

This no-fail recipe for meatloaf doesn't take long to make and is healthier with lean ground beef, low-fat milk, whole wheat bread crumbs, some fresh parsley, and carrot.

Provided by MakeItHealthy

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Meatloaf Recipes     Beef Meatloaf Recipes

Time 1h10m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 11

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
1 cup low-fat (1%) milk
1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large carrot, grated
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
⅓ cup ketchup

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
  • Combine beef, egg, onion, milk, bread crumbs, parsley, and carrot in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Place beef mixture in loaf pan.
  • Stir together brown sugar, mustard, and ketchup in a small bowl. Pour over meatloaf.
  • Bake in preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 1 hour. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Nutrition Facts : Calories 269.9 calories, Carbohydrate 18.4 g, Cholesterol 82.8 mg, Fat 12.4 g, Fiber 1.6 g, Protein 21.2 g, SaturatedFat 4.8 g, Sodium 284.8 mg, Sugar 9.8 g

BASIC TEXAS MEAT LOAF



Basic Texas Meat Loaf image

Provided by Marialisa Calta

Categories     dinner, main course

Time 1h

Yield Four to six servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes, drained
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1/2 cup finely diced green pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
4 thick slices bacon

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees
  • In a bowl, thoroughly combine the ground beef and pork. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk and oats. Pour into the meats. Mix thoroughly.
  • Add Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes, celery, onion, green pepper, salt, pepper, herbs and garlic. Mix well.
  • Form into oval loaf in a roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and lay the bacon lengthwise on top. Bake 50 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 469, UnsaturatedFat 18 grams, Carbohydrate 13 grams, Fat 34 grams, Fiber 2 grams, Protein 27 grams, SaturatedFat 13 grams, Sodium 611 milligrams, Sugar 5 grams, TransFat 1 gram

EXTRA LEAN MEATLOAF



Extra Lean Meatloaf image

Make and share this Extra Lean Meatloaf recipe from Food.com.

Provided by soulshine113

Categories     Very Low Carbs

Time 30m

Yield 3 loaves, 6 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 10

28 ounces extra lean ground turkey
1 egg
1/4 cup ketchup
3/4 cup zucchini
1/2 cup red onion
1/2 cup bell pepper
cooking spray
oregano
basil
thyme

Steps:

  • Mix together all ingredients.
  • Bake for 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 230.7, Fat 11.9, SaturatedFat 3.3, Cholesterol 140.3, Sodium 250.4, Carbohydrate 5, Fiber 0.6, Sugar 3.5, Protein 24.9

Tips:

  • For a leaner meatloaf, use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef.
  • Add some finely chopped vegetables to the meatloaf mixture, such as carrots, celery, or zucchini. This will help to add flavor and moisture.
  • Use a variety of herbs and spices to season the meatloaf. Some good options include garlic, onion, thyme, oregano, and basil.
  • Don't overmix the meatloaf mixture. Overmixing can make the meatloaf tough.
  • Bake the meatloaf in a loaf pan at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center reads 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Conclusion:

Lean meatloaf is a delicious and healthy meal that is perfect for a weeknight dinner. It is easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste. With a few simple tips, you can make a lean meatloaf that is sure to please everyone at the table.

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