An Easy Meatloaf Recipe for Beginners - A Step-by-Step Guide

What is Meatloaf?

Meatloaf is everyone's favorite go-to recipe for dinner in a hurry. It's a dish made of ground meat mixed with ingredients like bread crumbs and seasoning to add taste and flavor. The dish is shaped like a loaf and baked or smoked.


Ground beef is typically the chief ingredient used in meatloaf, but it can also be prepared with pork, lamb or a combination of different ground meats. This dish can be eaten plain, or reheated to make sandwiches or burgers.

History of Meatloaf

Meatloaf is comfort food that has a rich and interesting heritage going back to the 1800s. Although the traditional meatloaf is not a staple of upscale restaurant menus in the United States, it is still a good old dish that some chefs try to sneak into their list of offerings. Let us take a look at its history-

• Dishes made with ground meat held together with spices go back to medieval Europe and the Mediterranean, where they used fruit and seasoning to keep it together.
• Meatloaf has since grown in various ways. From leftover meat, scraps and spices put together to make a quick and wholesome dish, to being fashioned into casseroles and Shepherd's pies, the journey has been long.
• In Bon Appetit, food historian Andrew Smith writes that the first written record of ameatloaf recipe in America dates back to the 1870s. Meatloaf was then a dish for the breakfast.
• This dish gained in popularity in the late 1890s and early 1900s with the advent of industrial meatpacking.
• However, it became an American staple during The Great Depression (1929-1939), when home cooks struggled to introduce more protein in their meals with fewer resources. Meatloaf gained further popularity during the war.
• In the 1950s, chefs started adapting different meatloaf recipes, cultivating the classic meatloaf we know today.

Ingredients for Meatloaf

The classic meatloaf is made with ground meat, bread crumbs, spices, seasoning, and onions to give you a dish that's juicy and tender on the inside, and tangy on the outside. Here's a list of ingredients you need to prepare meatloaf as Americans know it.
(Serves 8)

• 1 lb ground meat (we're going with lean beef)
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup ketchup
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 clove of garlic
• Salt and pepper

Steps to Cooking Meatloaf

Although this meatloaf recipe is one of the easiest in the book, there are a few points to keep in mind before getting down to it. While meatloaf is cooked at 350 F, Make Sure its internal temperature is a minimum 160 F.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F. Use parchment to line the baking sheet or loaf pan you are using.
• Mix the ground meat, bread crumbs, onion, garlic, eggs, half the ketchup, 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce, and salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Make sure you mix this really well.
• Pour the mixture into your lined baking sheet or loaf pan and beat it evenly to give the loaf its shape. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven.
• Take the brown sugar, remaining ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl and stir it till these are mixed well. Use this paste to layer the top of themeatloaf with a fine glaze after it is cooked for 30 minutes. Brush the top and sides of themeatloaf well.
• After adding the glaze, put it back in the oven and wait till the top is caramelized. Use any of the good Meat Thermometers in the market to make sure the internal temperature is at least 160 F. Cook for another 25 minutes.
• Let it rest for about 10 minutes.
• Slice and serve your meatloaf and sit back for compliments!

How to Cook Your Meatloaf to Perfection

If you want to make sure your classic meatloaf is absolutely without fault, here are some additional tips to perfect it.

• Make sure you mix the ingredients really well, otherwise the mix may turn mushy.
• Don't bake the meatloaf for over 55 minutes. Over-baking may cause the loaf to fall apart. Also, get the Food Temperature absolutely right to make sure the meat is well-cooked.
• Use the right quantity of bread crumbs. If you use too little, the loaf will not hold together.
• Let the meatloaf cool down after it is baked. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before you start slicing it up.

Delicious Variations on the Classic Meatloaf

While the classics will always dominate dinners, it's exciting to experiment occasionally. If you're looking for novelty in your meatloaf, try these delicious spinoffs.

1. Take a pan and add 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 cup diced onion and 1 cup diced white button mushrooms. Stir till the mushrooms and onions turn brown.
2. Add 1 cup grated carrot, 2 tbsp tomato paste, thyme and garlic. Stir for another 2 minutes. Cool this mixture.
3. Add this to the meatloaf mixture in the classic recipe (above) and pour it onto the baking sheet.

Final Word

So there you have it! The perfect meatloaf recipe that's sure to please everyone. This dish is hearty and filling, but it also has a light, fresh taste that will leave your guests clamoring for more. Be sure to try this meatloaf recipe the next time you're looking for an impressive main course to serve at your next gathering.