Best 5 Never Fail Meatloaf Recipes

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A hearty and comforting dish, meatloaf is a classic comfort food that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. With its combination of ground beef, spices, and bread crumbs, meatloaf is a versatile dish that can be tailored to your own personal taste. Whether you prefer a classic meatloaf recipe or something a little more adventurous, there is a meatloaf recipe out there for everyone. In this article, we will explore some of the best meatloaf recipes that are sure to be a hit with your family and friends. From traditional meatloaf to more creative takes on the classic dish, we have something for everyone. So, get ready to discover the perfect meatloaf recipe for your next meal!

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

NEVER FAIL MEATLOAF



Never Fail Meatloaf image

This is a recipe that I have fine tuned for our family. The easiest -- and one of the best tasting!

Provided by Melissa B

Categories     Main Dish Recipes     Meatloaf Recipes     Beef Meatloaf Recipes

Time 1h45m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 ½ pounds ground beef
3 eggs, beaten
1 (6 ounce) package herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing mix
1 cup hickory smoke flavored barbeque sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ cup milk
1 cup barbeque sauce
1 cup packed brown sugar

Steps:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, stuffing mix, hickory smoke flavored barbeque sauce, onion, garlic and milk. Mix thoroughly and place into the prepared baking dish. Shape into 2 loaves.
  • In a small bowl, combine the barbeque sauce and brown sugar; blend well. Pour the glaze over the 2 meatloaves.
  • Cover the baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 90 minutes. Uncover the last 15 minutes of bake time. Let sit for 15 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 602.2 calories, Carbohydrate 68.2 g, Cholesterol 156.4 mg, Fat 23.6 g, Fiber 1.3 g, Protein 28 g, SaturatedFat 9 g, Sodium 1136.7 mg, Sugar 46.2 g

NEVER FAILS ME MEATLOAF



Never Fails Me Meatloaf image

Finally, I finally found a winning recipe for meatloaf and you wont believe the ingredient list! This meatloaf is on the sweet side...contains 1 tsp of brown sugar in both the loaf and the topping...so skip this one if that doesn't appeal to you...or try it anyway to see if you like the moist texture and skip the sugar. I am mostly posting this so I don't forget how I made it next time we get the taste for meatloaf...but maybe somebody out there has been looking for a filling, moist meatloaf and wants to give this a try! I LOVED the addition of the pasta in this meatloaf and from now on, even if I try a new meatloaf recipe, I'm going to add the pasta...it just made it the perfect texture for me. Maybe you will like it too! This meatloaf is very moist and flavorful. Despite the amount of bbq sauce in the loaf, we don't feel it is an overwhelming flavor after cooking. It doesn't cut as cleanly as some, but who cares when it tastes this good? Just use a narrow spatula to get the cut slices out of the pan. To eleminate any issue with cutting and to cut down on the prep time, just use a mini muffin pan instead.

Provided by Caryn Dalton

Categories     Meat

Time 1h

Yield 8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 lbs lean ground beef, thawed (no more than 15% fat or it'll be swimming in grease and shrink up on you...we use 10% or less and I)
2 teaspoons horseradish sauce
1/4 cup light mayonnaise (or full fat..but fat free has too much water in it)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (we use the garlic in a jar that comes pre-minced or minced microwave roasted garlic)
1/2 cup favorite barbecue sauce (we used Masterpiece Smokey Flavor)
1/4 cup acini di pepe pasta (can substitute with couscous)
1/8 cup acini di pepe pasta (can substitute with couscous)
2 large eggs
1/2-1 cup of ground quick-cooking oatmeal or 1/2 cup crushed Ritz cracker
1 teaspoon brown sugar (I use sugar in the raw)
1/3 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon brown sugar

Steps:

  • Heat oven to 375. Wash hands.
  • Pulse the crackers or oats in a food processor a couple of times. You don't want to see whole oats in the end.
  • In a clean bowl, mix all ingredients except meat and oats (or crackers) well. Then add ground meat and mix only as much as is needed to incorporate all ingredients. Try not to overmix because this tends to make your meatloaf mixture more dense than is necessary. Mixing gently with your hands, mix in the oats or crackers until mixture is no longer runnuy. If it is, add more crushed crackers, oatmeal and/or pasta, remembering that the pasta will absorb excess liquid only as it cooks. Important: when right, the mixture should retain a shape made by your hand. If you don't get this part right, your meatloaf will not retain its shape when cooked. If you get the mix right, it will cut nicely and likely lose a crumble or two when transfering from the pan to plate. For that reason, I do this in mini muffin pans too and they come out just right, not crumbling.
  • Put mixture into a loaf pan. Pat lightly to smooth out top of loaf. Cover loaf pan with foil and put in oven. Prepare topping by mixing ketchup with the 1 tsp of brown sugar and set aside.
  • After 45 minutes, carefully pour off excess grease (place something on top of loaf so it doesn't fall OR use a turkey baster to suck out the juices) and thn spread topping over meatloaf. Put back in oven, uncovered. Cook for 5 more minutes and check to see if loaf is done by using a thermometer reading. If not done, check every five minutes until done. It is done and safe to eat at 160 degrees, but you can take it out at 152 and let it rest for five minutes and the temp will rise to a safe temperature.
  • I do not trust the "it's done if it aint pink no more" method because ground meat products can both look brown long before they are safe to eat and look pink long after they are actually done. A thermometer is just easier to use and safer too. So, you use your own judgment on cook time. I pulled mine out of the oven after 52 minutes of cook time and it was 161 degrees and DELICIOUS.
  • If you are making mini muffins, start your initial cook time at 30 minutes and keep checking with your temp till the center of the muffins reach at least 155. Also, you still have to remove the excess grease from the pans during cooking. For that reason, when making meatloaf muffins, I put a baking sheet under the pan to catch drips.
  • A word of warning: This recipe is not friendly to subbing out the pasta or the lean ground meat. If you omit the pasta, the loaf will not be moist and hold its flavor. If you use higher fat ground meat, your pasta will be cooked in grease and the loaf will be mis-shapen, swimming in grease and unappetizing. Believe me, I know -- I've tried both. When you have both ingredients, just try it as it's written and most of all:.
  • Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 330.1, Fat 15.5, SaturatedFat 5.5, Cholesterol 122.8, Sodium 401.1, Carbohydrate 19.7, Fiber 0.9, Sugar 8.2, Protein 26.2

NEVER-FAIL MEATLOAF



Never-Fail Meatloaf image

I found the basis for this meatloaf in the Woman's Day 12-volume Encyclopedia of Cookery that I bought in 1966, 1 book a week, at the grocery store. I have adjusted it over time to reflect today's health issues, such as lower salt and fat. The wonderful thing about this recipe is that the proportions are always right, so it can be used as the basis for meat balls, and other loaves such as ham, chicken, salmon or whatever comes to mind.

Provided by PAFoodie

Categories     Meat

Time 1h15m

Yield 6-8 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 9

2 lbs lean ground beef, preferably 90% lean
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
1/4 cup corn, flake crumbs
1/2 cup skim milk
1/4 cup white onion, finely chopped
1/2-3/4 teaspoon rubbed sage, depending on your taste
3 -4 slices bacon

Steps:

  • Mix all of the ingredients together thoroughly, using your hands. If you prefer to use a spoon, beat the eggs slightly before adding.
  • Pack into a standard loaf or form a loaf on a baking sheet.
  • Top the loaf with the bacon slices.
  • Bake in a preheated 350 degree Fahrenheit oven for 1 hour or until done.
  • Variations:.
  • Replace the corn flake crumbs with any other dry cereal, cooked rice, uncooked rolled oats, or cracker crumbs. Increase the measure to 1/2 cup when using soft bread crumbs.
  • Replace the sage with your favorite dry herb or herb mixture. When using fresh herbs increase the measure to 1 tablespoon.
  • Add minced garlic when making meatballs.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 361.3, Fat 22, SaturatedFat 8.4, Cholesterol 176.9, Sodium 618.6, Carbohydrate 3.8, Fiber 0.3, Sugar 0.6, Protein 34.8

"BETTER THAN BEEF" MEATLESS MEATLOAF



Thanks to caramelized brown onions, there's some real magic going on in this meatless meatloaf! Despite having no beef in it, it's super savory with a meaty texture and flavor. With just enough binder to keep it together, it's slightly crumbly, but still melt-in-your-mouth tender and moist. Serve with mashed potatoes, green beans, and gravy.

Provided by Chef John

Categories     Meatloaf

Time 2h25m

Yield 6

Number Of Ingredients 26

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds brown mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
½ cup diced yellow onion
¼ cup diced celery
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons beef base (such as Better than Bouillon®)
¼ cup water
1 cup cooked black lentils
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup fine dry bread crumbs
⅔ cup rolled oats
1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Steps:

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Very generously grease a loaf pan.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add mushrooms and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and sauté until nicely browned and juices have evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until soft, another 5 to 7 minutes.
  • Add celery, tomato paste, and beef base; cook and stir until tomato paste begins to toast on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes. Stir in water and turn off the heat; let sit for about 3 minutes.
  • Transfer mushroom mixture into a food processor. Add cooked lentils and pulse until finely chopped but not pureed.
  • Transfer to a mixing bowl and add eggs, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, thyme, cayenne, ketchup, bread crumbs, oats, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Mix until thoroughly combined.
  • Transfer mixture into the prepared loaf pan, then wrap with foil and place on a sheet pan.
  • Bake in the center of the preheated oven until firm to the touch, about 1 hour.
  • Remove the loaf from the oven and place on a wire rack. Remove the foil and place it on the baking sheet. Grease the foil with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Let the loaf sit for 10 to 15 minutes, and increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
  • While the loaf is resting, make the glaze: Whisk ketchup, Dijon mustard, and brown sugar together in a small bowl.
  • Invert the loaf onto the foil and spread glaze all over the surface, mostly on the top but some on the sides.
  • Return to the oven and bake until the glaze is cooked on, 15 to 20 minutes.
  • Carefully transfer the loaf onto a cutting board. Cut into 6 slices and serve.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 367.2 calories, Carbohydrate 37 g, Cholesterol 73.7 mg, Fat 17.9 g, Fiber 6.2 g, Protein 18.4 g, SaturatedFat 4.6 g, Sodium 1547 mg

NO-FUSS MEAT LOAF



No-Fuss Meat Loaf image

"Instant stuffing mix makes this nicely seasoned meat loaf simple enough for beginners to make," says Betty Braswell of Elgin, Pennsylvania. "I often combine the mixture in a resealable plastic bag instead of a bowl," she suggests. "Then I toss the bag for easy cleanup."

Provided by Taste of Home

Categories     Dinner

Time 1h50m

Yield 6-8 servings.

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 package (6 ounces) instant stuffing mix
2 pounds ground beef
Ketchup

Steps:

  • In a large bowl, beat eggs and water. Stir in stuffing mix and contents of seasoning packet. Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. , Press into an ungreased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Top with ketchup. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until no pink remains and a thermometer reads 160°.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 324 calories, Fat 16g fat (6g saturated fat), Cholesterol 128mg cholesterol, Sodium 457mg sodium, Carbohydrate 15g carbohydrate (2g sugars, Fiber 0 fiber), Protein 27g protein.

Tips:

  • Use a combination of ground meats: This will result in a more flavorful and moist meatloaf. Ground beef and pork is a classic combination, but you can also use ground turkey, chicken, or lamb.
  • Add plenty of aromatics: Onions, garlic, and celery are all great additions to meatloaf. They add flavor and moisture, and they help to keep the meatloaf from becoming dry.
  • Use a binder: A binder, such as bread crumbs, eggs, or oats, will help to hold the meatloaf together. This will prevent it from falling apart when you slice it.
  • Season the meatloaf well: Don't be afraid to use plenty of salt and pepper, as well as other herbs and spices. This will help to give the meatloaf flavor.
  • Cook the meatloaf at a low temperature: This will help to prevent the meatloaf from drying out. The ideal internal temperature for meatloaf is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Let the meatloaf rest before slicing: This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meatloaf, resulting in a more tender and flavorful slice.

Conclusion:

Meatloaf is a classic comfort food that is easy to make and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. By following these tips, you can make a delicious and moist meatloaf that will be a hit at your next meal. So next time you're looking for a hearty and satisfying dish, give meatloaf a try.

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