“Yasss” may be the only word you utter after your chomp down and savor the bursting flavors of this delicious classic, tender, and moist meatloaf.
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I struggled to snap that one perfect picture of my meatloaf. It is hard to make meatloaf look good but at the end of the day, the flavor is all that matters. Am I right?
I could probably eat the whole 2 lbs of this meatloaf! I’m serious. This is some GOOD meatloaf!
Meatloaf is one of my favorite comfort foods! My family always fight over the last slice of meatloaf. Back in the day, you wouldn’t find me fighting over meatloaf because I pretty much hated it. I grew tired of trying dry or bland meatloaf recipes. I eventually worked on making my own meatloaf. If you don’t like meatloaf I bet you’ll love this recipe.
Meatloaf isn’t rocket science. Don’t skimp on seasonings and use a generous amount of sauteed onions. The cooked onions made this meatloaf super delicious. A lot of recipes use milk but I don’t use milk. I only use beef broth. It works, trust me. The beef broth provides so much flavor.
- I preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For an easy cleanup, I line my tray with parchment paper or heavy-duty aluminum foil. I cover the entire top and sides of the baking sheet with foil. I used parchment paper for this recipe since I was out of foil, BUT I prefer to use aluminum foil. The baking tray stays a bit cleaner with foil.
- I always use fresh bread not the breadcrumbs from the store. Fresh bread will keep the beef moister. I rip the bread in half then place it in the food processor then process into tiny crumbs. I then soak the bread crumbs in a small bowl with beef broth, eggs, and Worcestershire sauce.
- I don’t care for tough meatloaf, so I gently combine the ground beef with the egg, bread, and onion mixture, making sure I don’t overdo it. I place the beef on the baking sheet then shape it into a loaf. With a basting brush, I slather on the sweet and savory peppery brown sugar ketchup then pop it into the oven.
- Lastly, I place an empty baking sheet on the shelf below the meatloaf and fill it with water. This will help keep the meatloaf nice and moist. I bake the meatloaf for 45-55 minutes or until it’s done.
Do you see all that great flavor? The sweet tangy peppery red ketchup glaze. Yum! The diced cooked onions are looking good too! This meatloaf is amazing. I couldn’t wait to sink my teeth into it.
I won’t be surprised if your family gobbles this meatloaf up in minutes. I don’t brag very much but this meatloaf is ridiculously easy to make and so DAMN good!
My sister made this meatloaf. Her picky husband and daughter both hate meatloaf but LOVED this one! My sis said it tasted like restaurant meatloaf. Those are the type of things I love to hear. I love cooking and I love helping people create delicious easy food. I hope you can try it!
The Best Meatloaf Recipe
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Yasss may be the only word you utter after your chomp down and savor the bursting flavors of this delicious classic, tender, and moist meatloaf.
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: American
Keyword: classic comfort food, classic dinner, comfort food
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 472 kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lb ground beef preferably not lean ground beef
- 4 slices of fresh bread food processed
- 1/3 cup beef broth I used Better Than Bouillon Beef Base
- 1 1/2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 pinch ground thyme
- 2 pinches dry parsley
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 cups red onion diced
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 4 tbsp light brown sugar about 4-5 tablespoons
- 2 tsp pepper optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the entire top and sides of a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil. See notes.
- Add the vegetable oil to a medium skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, enough add the onions and cook until softened about 6-8 minutes. A minute before the onions are done, add the garlic.
- Cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds). Remove the onions and garlic from the skillet and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- To a small bowl add the fresh breadcrumbs, eggs, Worcestershire sauce and beef broth. Mix gently. Let the breadcrumbs soak for 5 minutes.
- To a bowl add the ketchup, pepper and brown sugar. Mix well. Reserve for later.
- Use a bowl big enough for the ground beef and breadcrumb mixture. Add the ground beef to the bowl with all the seasonings, salt, and pepper. Add the breadcrumb mixture, onions and garlic and gently mix.
- Place the beef on the baking sheet lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Shape the beef into a loaf. Pour only half of the brown sugar ketchup over the meatloaf.
- With the basting brush, brush the ketchup all over the top and side of the meatloaf. Place the meatloaf in the oven. Add another baking sheet on the lower shelf right underneath the meatloaf. Fill it with water. See notes.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the temperature on your meat thermometer reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the meatloaf with the remaining ketchup glaze and serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables.
Recipe Notes
- Do not overmanipulate the ground beef. Gently mix the ground beef into the seasonings and breadcrumb mixture.
- The pan with water will make the meatloaf moist.
- Storage: refrigerate meatloaf in airtight containers or wrap tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil or plastic wrap for 3-4 days.
Notes always reach for Better than Bouillon Beef Base whenever I need to use beef broth. It's just like homemade broth and it packs lots of flavors. It also lasts longer than the boxed or canned broth. The beef base is made from roasted beef & concentrated beef stock You can find the low sodium beef here. Be careful when using BTB because it contains salt. I use this sheet pan and meat thermometer.