Meatloaf

A juicy and flavorful homemade meatloaf recipe.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword meatloaf

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 5

Servings servings

Calories 554kcal

Author Emma Chapman

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef
½ onion
5 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons butter
2 eggs
½ cup milk
¾ cup Italian breadcrumbs
½ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons parsley
¼ cup BBQ sauce
1 teaspoon vinegar

Instructions

First, finely chop the onion and mince the garlic. Cook in the butter until soft, only a couple minutes.
In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and milk. This will form a kind of paste.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, cooked onions and garlic, breadcrumbs and milk, eggs, 1 tablespoon ketchup, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley and the Parmesan cheese. Stir to combine.
On a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil, form the loaf from the meatloaf batter. I use a loaf pan to do this. I press the mixture into the pan and then flip it over onto the baking sheet. A few taps and it’s out. But if you don’t want to dirty a loaf pan you can form the loaf by hand.
Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ketchup, BBQ sauce and vinegar.
After the initial 45 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the sauce over the top. Bake for another 10-12 minutes. The meatloaf should reach an internal temperature of 160°F when done.
Allow the meatloaf to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it. This allows the juices and fat from the meat to settle.

Notes

I don’t bake meatloaf in a loaf pan but rather on a baking sheet. Why? I like the crispy edges this method produces.

The addition of BBQ sauce in the meatloaf sauce is maybe a little controversial. I like the spicy tang it adds. But you can omit it if you want. And if you are planning to serve this with gravy, you may want to skip the sauce altogether.

If you are making this for a holiday meal, I highly recommend adding a few more fresh herbs like rosemary and thyme to make this smell and taste a little more like the holidays.

Nutrition