Need MEATLOAF Recipe

my husband never wanted to eat meatloaf becuase he hated meatloaf, so one day I just made it my way and it is his favorite now. I use about 1 1/2 lb gound beef, 1.5 cups crushed corn flakes, 1/2 cup finely minced onions and red bell pepper, less than 1 egg, season with garlic powder, garlic salt, pepper, and about 3/4 of a bottle of bulls eye bbq sauce. Mix all together and top meatloaf with thinly slice onions. Half way through cooking add more bbq sauce on top. Hope you like it.

Here's my own made-up recipe: sauteed mushroom & onion, one package of Lipton Onion Soup mix, worch sauce, one egg, grated SHARP cheddar cheese, seasonings to taste. Just before it's done baking I put some slices of the sharp cheddar cheese across the top. It's awesome!! We love it!
Any questions, let me know.

J., try not cutting it right out of the oven. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes and it should cut and stay together.

Hi - You may like to try my meatloaf recipe, it is handed down from my Italian Grandma to mom to me, it is a family favorite. We call it Italian Meat Loaf:

3 C Corn Flakes
1 C Milk
1 1/2 lb Ground Beef
2 Eggs
1/4 c finely chopped onions
1 T Worchestershire sauce
1/2 t. salt
1/2 garlic salt
1/4 t. basil
dash pepper
FOR TOP
1/4 C catsup
1/4 C parm. grated cheese
1/4 t. basil

Crush corn flakes into fine crumbs.
Soak corn flakes in milk.
Add beef, eggs, cheese, pepper, onions and seasonings.
Mix well.
Shape into loaf- place in baking pan.
Spreak catsup over loaf (I usually just put it thickly down the center indented area)
Sprinkle with Parmesean and basil.
Bake in moderate 350 oven for 1 hour or til done.

Enjoy! Hmmm, have not made it in awhile, so I think I will make it again soon! Thanks for reminding me! :-)

Well I"m going to go against the grain here and recommend a turkey meatloaf. It's lower in fat and healthier for you.
1-2 pounds ground turkey breast (depends on how big you want to make it)
2 egg whites
1 cup old-fashioned oatmeal
1 TBSP worschteshire (sp) sauce
1 cup salsa (choose heat level appropriate for you)
1/4 cup EVOO
pepper to taste
1/2 medium red onion diced

mix it up using your hands and bake at 350 for about an hour

Consider serving it with baked sweet potato and green beans for a well balanced meal. :)

IF you prefer to use red meat... consider changing up your recipe with ground bison. Lower in saturated fat and never fed hormones.

Hi J.! This is a really great recipe, super easy and it's healthy! My 8 year old step-son loves it; I've been making it for him for 2 years now! My grandfather got it out of a "heart smart" recipe book, so we call it Grandpa's Meatloaf. Yum!!
1 1/2 lb hamburger
1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup dried onion
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use Italian Style)
1 beef boullion cube (disolved in 1 cup hot water)
1 cup water
2 egg whites

Let package of spinach thaw partially. (I never remember that part; and it's fine!) Soak 1/4 cup dried minced onion in 1/4 cup skim milk (I use 1%). Cook spinach according to package instructions (I do in microwave). Combine onion, spinach, beef, tomato, egg whites, break crumbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper; mix well. Form into an oval and place in a foiled lined (or oiled) baking pan. Pour 1/4 cup boillion over top. Bake at 350 for one hour. Pour 1/4 cup boullion over meatloaf every 15 minutes.

It's so yummy!!!

Hi J.,

I LOVE this recipe. I hope you enjoy.

Fluffy Meat Loaf

1 lb ground beef
½ lb ground lean pork
1 C dry bread crumbs
1 ¼ C milk
1 egg, beaten
¼ C minced onion
¼ t each: pepper, dry mustard, sage, celery salt and garlic salt
1 T Worcestershire sauce

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. For better browning, shape meat loaf into shallow baking pan. Bake 1 ½ hours or until done. Serve hot or cold.

I think any recipe should work well if you use quick oats instead of bread crumbs and shred the vegetables (if you add any). I shred the onion and about half a zuchinni (sp?) rather than dice. I also saute them at little bit first to there is no additional moisture. If you use ground beef and it is the really fatty version, you might need to drain the loaf pan once of twice while cooking if you want to use a loaf pan. I use a loaf pan to shape my meatloaf, line a cooking sheet with foil, reverse the pan onto the sheet and shake out the meatloaf and bake that way. I cover it 1/2 the cooking time loosely with foil and when I remove the foil I spread over the top a mixture of ketchup, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar (mix to your taste). Let it "sit" for about 10-15 minutes after you take it out of the oven. I've also tried using half ground turkey and half ground beef and I found this to be a little less moist and might stay together better--but my family like the all beef better. Try adding about a tablespoon of horseradish to give it a little zing.

Here is a VERY SIMPLE, VERY YUMMY Meatloaf recipe. My husband LOVES it and everytime I talk about looking for or trying another one, he tells me not to alter this recipe because it's the best he's ever tried.
1 pound ground beef
1 small onin chopped up
1 green bell pepper chopped up
1 pkg Saltine Crackers (crunch them in bag before dumping into bowl)
1 egg
worstershire sauce (I don't measure, about 1/4 cup..maybe a little more)
ketchup (about 3/4 cup)

mix all ingredients into a large bowl and mix with hands. When all mixed put into a 9X9 square pan. I push the sides down slightly so the oil has a place to go. Coat the top with a layer of Ketchup and put into oven uncovered at 350* for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. ENJOY!

I've never had this recipe crumble or fall apart. Good Luck

First off, I scanned over some of the other recipes to see waht kinda of ideas you were getting..I just wanted to point out that although they sound deliecious some of the ingredients are not good for your family. The soup mixes and boullion both have MSG not to down play there great ideas but just to be aware.
I am from the south originally and we love our meatloaf
1 lb ground beef
1/2 medium onion chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
bread crumbs (to desired thickness)I use 2 slices of bread toasted and pureed
1 large egg
ketchup (to taste)
mustard (to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 to 1 tsp Mrs. Dash Original

Preheat oven to 350
Saute onions and bell peppers in olive oil
Mix all ingredients together by hand
Place in baking dish and bake for 45 min to 1 hr
top with favorite cheese

My family loves this meatloaf recipe (especially the bacon slices on top that crisp up so perfectly while baking while infusing the meatloaf with a bacon-like flavor!)

2 lbs. ground beef
1 1/2 c. grated Swiss cheese
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 onion, chopped
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. pepper
dash of celery salt
2 shredded carrots
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 c. milk
1 c. bread crumbs
1/2 c. chopped parsley
sliced bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the ingredients together (except the bacon). Pack into 2 loaf pans (1 loaf to eat, 1 loaf for leftover sandwiches). Top with slices of bacon running lengthwise and overlapping slightly(usually 3-4 slices per pan)and bake for 1 1/2 hours. One loaf feeds a family of 5 (unless they're all teenage boys, then you'll need both loaves!) Hope you enjoy this as much as we do!

Quick and easy! "Yummy Turkey Meatloaf" 2 tbsp.onion powder
1 tsp.Italian seasoning
2tbsp. garlic powder
1 cup quick oatmeal
1 lb. ground turkey
1 (14 1/2oz.) diced tomatos
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 cup shredded zucchini or peas or just about any veggie
sometimes I'll add salsa to make it a little spicey combine everything . Place in a microwave ring mold . spread tomato sauce or salsa on top. Microwave on high (100% power) for 10 mins. Turn dish and microwave for 8 additional minutes. Set for 5 mins. Low fat and low carb! ENJOY

Here's my family's favorite meatloaf. It's a little American and a little Italian:

One Pound of Ground Turkey Meat (defrosted if necessary)
2 Eggs
2 Slices of bread (Any kind will do)
2-3 Cloves Freshly Diced Garlic (More if you are Italian!)
1 - 2 Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
2 Tablespoons Honey
2 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

Topping:
Honey and Barbecue Sauce to Taste

Tear apart bread into small squares approximately 1 in X 1 in. Mix all ingredients together in a 8X8 glass casserole dish until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Smooth out the mix so that it fills the dish entirely and has a flat top. Brush on the honey and barbecue sauce. Bake at 400 for approximately 30 minutes. It should still be moist but not bubbling with the moisture in the underside of the dish. The sides will turn a bit brown when it is done.

Mind you I never actually measure the seasoning, honey or barbecue sauce. I eyeball it. My whole family loves it!!!

Hi J.,

Here is a meatloaf recipe I've used recently and my family really likes it. Also, do you let your meatloaf sit a few minutes before you cut into it? Sometimes that helps it from falling apart also. Here it is.

1 bell pepper (diced)
Shredded Parmesan/Mozarella cheese
1 small onion (diced)
Seasonings to taste
Sourdough bread or bread crumbs
Worcester Sauce
Tomato sauce
Egg

Bake at 325-350 for 1 hr.

1st 1/2 hour bake covered
2nd 1/2 hour top with some barbecue sauce uncovered

Good luck.

Dear J.,
My kids absolutely love meatloaf too! I have never had trouble with it falling apart, but then again, I have never heard of putting milk in it either.
Meatloaf is not an exact science. So, I never measure anything. I just know the right consistancy when I feel it during mixing. If I have 2 pounds of ground beef, great. If I have less, that's okay too. Like I said, it's not an exact science.

Ground beef
A pack of Lipton's Onion Soup mix
One or two eggs
Crumbled bread or crackers
Some ketchup
A little bbq sauce
A little worcestershire sauce
A little garlic
A little bit of water if necessary
A little more bread if necessary
Throw it in a bread or 8x8 baking pan.
Throw it in the oven and bake.

I never use anything bigger than an 8x8 pan because the sides will get done far before the middle.
If I have a lot of people, I would rather use multiple bread pans. Glass is best. I washes easier. Also, let it set for a bit before trying to cut into it. Bread pans are perfect because a spatula fits in great for measuring slices.
We were invited to a friend's house for dinner and she made meatloaf. It was just kind of clumped in a pile on a cookie sheet. I had never seen such a thing. We love her, but I don't care to try it that way again.

I'm sure you've received a zillion tips. Mix and match and find the way that your family likes.

My Family loves this recipe and it is the easiest no-fail recipe ever.

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds ground beef (don’t sub turkey, it doesn’t turn out)
1 egg
1 onion, chopped
1 cup milk
1 cup dried bread crumbs
10 crushed Ritz crackers
Tsp garlic powder
Tsp Worstisher sauce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Topping
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
1/3 cup ketchup

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except the topping ingredients). Season with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased 5x9 inch loaf pan. In a separate small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and ketchup. Mix well and pour 1/2 mixture over the meatloaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Add the other 1/2 of topping and cook an additional 15 minutes.

J.,
Hi, I have been using the same reciepe for years! It's not the reciepe it's the crappy hamburger. I have noticed over the years that mine has done the same,just when I use hamburger ONLY. In recent years I have been adding a little ground sausage to help keep it together. The problem is TOO MUCH WATER in the hamburger meat....I don't know why exactly but it boils out & causes holes in the meat. SInce when did they start adding water to the meat???
I assume that it has to do with less fat content?
If you use a higher grade of meat, have the meat dept grind up a chuck roast for you & I bet the meatloaf is GREAT!!!! Sometimes it's even CHEAPER!!! But if you want to use hamburger, then add a half a tube of jimmy dean ground sausage.Jimmy Dean is on sale all the time so I stock up, or I just buy ground sausage, not usually all that expensive.You won't need much,but it will help keep it together.....Good Luck..
L.

I dont cook with recipes but I make a killer meatloaf: Eggs bind. Use more, not less. I cook for a huge family and have been known to use a dozen eggs in a tripple size meatloaf.

Haha, I hear ya! Mine fall apart sometimes too, but not always, and I have no idea "why?". I use the Quaker Oats recipe most of the time, but I also like to use Cheezits for the crumb base on occasion. I think the "setting time" after you pull it out of the oven may be one of deciding factors as to whether it falls apart or not. If you let it rest a little longer before taking a good, sharp, wide spatula to it I think that helps. It is also very important to really dice up your veggies small. I grate carrots into mine and really chop the onions fine. I don't add any egg and I use V8 juice as my moisture. Main thing is, if it tastes good, who cares if it falls apart! ;)

Hi J.,

My husband makes the best meatloaf (he is the cook in the family - I got lucky) and when he makes it he does not use any egg. He says that the best thing to do is just add the bread crumbs and whatever else you use in your recipe and that will help bind your meat and it won't fall apart when you cut it. Trust me this works - we just made it last week!

Good luck
L.

Hi J.,

I just found this campbells recipe and the family loves it.

1 Can condensed tomatoe soup (10 3/4 oz)
2 lb. ground beef
1 pouch dry campbells dry onion soup and recipe mix
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup water

Mix all the above and bake in a 8x4" loaf baking pan.
Cook 1 hour and 20 minutes at 350 degrees

I didn't do this part, but it also says mix 2 tbsps drippings, remaining tomotoe soup and water in a saucepan. Heat through adn serve with meat loaf.

Enjoy. Kim

This is my family's recipe handed down from great-grandma. A little different from most others in that we dont cook the ketchup in/with/on it, but put it on when it's on our plates/in sandwiches (yum yum)

Mollie's Meatloaf (I can almost tell it from memory)

3 lbs beef
1 lb pork
1 cup bread crumbs (dry - or cracker crumbs)
1/2 c onions (finely chopped is better)
3 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup milk

(Squish it all together in a large bowl.)
Shape into 2-3 loaves. (I prefer to do 4)
put on rack in shallow pan
bake 1 hr 350 degrees
baste every 15 mins with juices (? I forget to do this!)
16 servings (that's what it says!)

No ketchup, no sausage although I do use mild sausage for the pork sometimes (it's not a spicy meatloaf, and makes excellent sandwiches with the leftover slices. And yes, let it sit & cool a bit before slicing.)

I use lean ground beef in this fat-conscious world but I think the fat cooking out from the meat may be actually what makes it hold together a little better and not so dry/crumbly at the end. Also, I think eggs mixed into foods help hold it together. I thought it had an egg in the recipe but it doesn't, I may have added it before, I don't remember.

Also, put them into muffin tins - it's fun for my son to have a meat-muffin instead of slices on his plate sometimes, and so easy to figure out how many to heat up for leftovers (as you can see, my recipe is for 4 lbs of meat, and it's just the 3 of us, haha. I LOVE leftovers & freezer meals so I don't have to cook every single day!) Plus it spends less time in the oven heating up the house!

Just read through the other recipes. eyew, please dont add green peppers, that RUINS it for me! But if you like it, go right ahead! grated veggies sound good though. As mentioned, we like ours cooked without any of the tomato stuff, and add ketchup on ourselves when eating.

Maybe moist bread crumbs could be the problem? I will let my bread crusts dry out (either whole or broken up into crumbs) then process them till they're crumbs and ready to use for this or whatever. Or use smashed saltines.

I learned from my mother to use the recipe on the box of oatmeal. My husband never liked meatloaf until he at that one.

I save the crushed saltine recipe for making meat balls w/wedged potatoes and gravy (yummy comfort food).

I use the recipe on the back of the Lowrey's spice packet for meatloaf, but I also add 3/4 of a can of corn, and baste the top with BBQ sauce 10 min before it's done. It never falls apart, and tastes great! I don't think it calls for any eggs or breadcrumbs.

J.

I probably take the easy rode but it tastes good. Take over 2 lbs. of meat and use Lawrys Meat Loaf Spices & Seasonings. All you do is mix the seasoning packet, the meat and one cup of milk and mix together with your hands. Put it in a dish and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes at 375. It is also important to take it out of the oven and cover with foil for 10 minutes or so that will help with the cutting. I was always used to my mom making homemade meatloaf and loved it. After she passed away this has been the only one I can eat.

Have you tried baking your meatloaf in muffin tins? It reduces the cooking time to about 25 minutes, provides indiviual (and cute) portions and completely eliminates the "cut & crumble" trouble! Good luck!

Oh, and we use the "Double Cheese Meatloaf" from Cooking Light at our house. I use all beef or turkey depending on what I have available not the three types of meats it calls for. The whole family loves it.

I like to use quick oats instead of bread crumbs, which I also do with hamburgers. Letting the meatloaf "rest" seems to be the key to keeping it together (in my experience).

Earlier this year I'd found that I had run out of Worchester Sauce, so I threw in Teriyaki instead, which my family loved. Any time I change something I ask their opinion after dinner and make mental notes of what works and what was just okay.

I don't believe there's any perfect recipe for meatloaf, so have fun and see what works for your family's tastes.

I have found that the trick to keeping meatloaf together isn't really the recipe. It's how it's cooked. If you form the loaf on a broiler pan (the kind that comes with your oven) it will dry out a bit and stay together much better. Also, cutting any veggies up that you put in it really small helps as well.

I have made meatloaf a ton of times and always had problems. While visiting my husbands family, my mother in law made meatloaf and it was perfect. She told me to use crushed crackers instead of bread crumbs and she also poked holes throughout to help evenly cook. I tried these ideas as soon as we got home and it worked. My meatloaf turned out great and didn't fall apart. Hope this helps. Goodluck.

I've found you need to let the meatload sit for 5-10 minutes after taking it out of the oven and before cutting it to ensure it doesn't fall apart. Too often we are too short of time and cut it too quickly, hence it falls apart!

Try using Turkey instead of hamburger and add salad croutons. Also instead of ketchup try bbq sauce. very good

I use Mom's meatloaf recipe... it's yummy... unfortunately, Mom was one of those women that never measured anything!

In a bowl, put 1 egg, some milk (maybe 1/4 cup or less), 1 chopped onion, 3/4 of a tube of saltine crackers crushed (in pieces), and some catsup and mix up. Then add the meat and mix with your hands. This is where you decide if you want to add more catsup or not. I sort of go on the basis of wanting to see the catsup a bit in between the meat. Put in a loaf pan and cook in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Let sit for about 10 min before cutting into it.

You can season it how you wish. I usually don't because I figure everyone will be putting salt on it anyway.

We always have leftover meatloaf sandwiches the next day!

I always love my mom's recipe. Ground beef, chopped onion, oatmeal, ketchup, mustard, and horseradish. It's not spicy but has a unique, delicious flavor. No eggs in this recipe. I do not have specific amounts though, as I just mix in a handful of oats, the onion, a squirt of ketchup, squirt of mustard and a spoonful of horseradish.

J.,
I have used the foil packet by McCormick spices. You can
find it with the taco seasoning packets. We have never had
any problems and it cuts into pieces like bread when we
serve it. I did notice that you have to pack it together pretty tight when you put it in the pan to cook.
W.

I have never in my life put milk into a meatloaf, nor breadcrumbs. I use 3/4 cup per pound of meat crushed wheaties or crackers or whatever I happen to have on hand. 2 eggs, small can drained stewed tomatoes (save the juice in your leftover veggie container in the freezer for soups)and then the rest of whatever you want in there. By varying spices, crushed crackers and vegetables you can make a Southwestern, an Italian, Southern, or anything else you can imagine meatloaf.
HTH, K.

My family loves meatloaf, too. I can't eat eggs anymore (food intolerance) so I use a leftover spaghetti or other type of sauce (bbq, meat marinade) for moisture, flavor and a little bit of a binding agent in place of the eggs. Instead of bread crumbs, I'll use panko crumbs or mashed up crackers to help bind everything together. I think the panko crumbs hold it together better and my family doesn't miss the egg. I don't measure things out - I just go by how it feels. Anyway, I hope this helps! Good luck!!

D.