This recipe is a special one. If you have never had meatloaf before, what are you doing!!? Meatloaf is the epitome of comfort food, soaring above mac and cheese (for me). Nothing was better than coming home from a day of high school and seeing that a meatloaf was baking in the oven alongside some veggies and mashed potatoes. It just made any day better and I knew my mom made it because I loved it. Which is what moms do best.
There shouldn’t be diet substitutes for meatloaf. Just eat a salad if you’re trying to be healthy tonight. One time my mom tried a different recipe and it just was not the same – my sister and I were pretty vocal about it. This recipe has been passed down from my nana, and who knows where it came before that. Don’t mess with the classics!
Make the meatloaf
Okay…this blog post is going to be really short. This is one of the easiest recipes you can try. All you need is one pound of ground beef. Some stores sell a variety of ground beef that has different percentages of fat, so just go with the leanest one you can find. We don’t want the meatloaf to get all soggy and wet in the pan as the fat bakes in the oven, so 90% lean meat is best for this if you can it!
Prep is two quick easy steps: mix and mix some more! For the loaf, we want some chopped onion for extra flavor, Italian breadcrumbs, an egg, a dash of milk and then a half cup of ketchup.
Use Ketchup!
Yes, KETCHUP. If I had never had meatloaf before I might think this is disgusting. But like I warned you, this is a true comfort food and the ketchup MAKES THE MEATLOAF GOOD. The sugar gives it a delicious sweetness that you taste in some types of cheeseburgers, and the tomato flavor pairs well with the onion. It’s worth it. I got organic ketchup just because I prefer real sugar over corn syrup, so that’s a mindful choice you can make if you want too. Heinz makes A LOT of healthier ketchup alternatives, but the sweetness will help for this loaf.
Then, just mush it up! You can use a big spoon or your hands, just make sure all the ingredients are well combined. Then just form the meat into a “loaf” with your hands and plop it into a greased loaf pan. Ta da!
You have to bake it for a whole hour, but it’s worth it. In the meantime, whip up some veggies or potatoes to go with it. A perfectly indulgent meal!
Meatloaf can survive a few days in the fridge, just cover your pan with foil and reheat in the microwave. Easy clean up!
If you want more comfort dinner ideas, try my slow cooker red wine beef and rigatoni or my crockpot Philly cheesesteaks with carrot mayo and broccolini.
Mom’s Meatloaf
Equipment
- standard loaf pan (8 x 4 or 9 x 5)
- large mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef (like ground sirloin)
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- ½ cup milk (almond milk works too)
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 egg
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease your pan with oil or butter.
- In a bowl, combine the chopped onion, breadcrumbs, milk, ketchup and egg.
- Stir in the ground beef and combine thoroughly.
- Shape the mixture into a loaf with your hands and carefully transfer it into the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour in the oven. Enjoy!
