Classic Meatloaf is an easy comfort food dinner made with a beef, pork and veal mix, grated onion and a glossy brown sugar ketchup glaze. Because it bakes on a single sheet pan in under an hour, this old-fashioned recipe suits weeknight dinners, Sunday supper or a fall family meal.
Mix only until the ingredients come together, because working the meat past that point makes the loaf dense and springy. Your hands are the right tool here, since a spoon or mixer compacts the mixture far more than you notice.
This version builds the glaze from the same ketchup and Worcestershire already in the loaf, plus two teaspoons of brown sugar. It also bakes free-form on parchment rather than in a loaf pan, so all four sides brown instead of steaming.
Classic Meatloaf
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings20
minutes55
minutes420
kcalGround meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, grated onion, garlic, ketchup and Worcestershire get mixed by hand and shaped into an oval loaf. It bakes thirty minutes before a brown sugar glaze goes on, then returns until the center hits 160 degrees.
Ingredients
1½ pounds ground meatloaf mix (equal parts ground beef, pork and veal or turkey)
1 cup dried breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 medium onion, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
½ cup ketchup, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
Directions
- Heat the oven:Preheat to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
- Mix the loaf:Combine the meatloaf mix, breadcrumbs, parsley, eggs, grated onion, garlic, ¼ cup of the ketchup, 1 tablespoon of the Worcestershire, 1½ teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Mix by hand just until combined.
- Shape and bake:Transfer to the prepared sheet and form a compact oval loaf about 9 inches by 5 inches. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Make the glaze:Stir the brown sugar together with the remaining ¼ cup ketchup and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire in a small bowl.
- Glaze and finish:Brush the glaze over the top and sides of the loaf. Return to the oven and bake until the glaze caramelizes and a thermometer in the center reads 160°F, about 25 minutes more.
- Rest: Let the loaf rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
FAQs
Why do the dried breadcrumbs matter, and should you soak them first?
Dried crumbs absorb the egg and ketchup and hold that moisture inside the loaf as the fat renders out. There is enough liquid in this mix already, so a separate soak is not needed the way some recipes require. Fresh breadcrumbs work if that is what you have, though use about a cup and a half of them instead.
Why does the glaze go on halfway through rather than at the start?
Ketchup and brown sugar burn over a full fifty-five minutes in the oven, so an early glaze turns black and bitter. Twenty-five minutes gives the sugar just enough time to caramelize into a glossy layer without scorching at all. The loaf has also firmed up by then, so brushing it does not drag the loose surface apart
Why shape the loaf 9 by 5 inches on a sheet pan?
That footprint keeps the loaf about two inches thick, which is what lets the center reach 160 in fifty-five minutes. Build it taller and narrower and the outside dries out long before the middle is safe to eat. Spread it too thin and you lose the juicy interior, since the loaf finishes in about half the time.
Why rest the meatloaf for 10 minutes before slicing?
The loaf keeps cooking off the heat, and the juices need time to settle back into the meat itself. Cutting straight away lets all of that liquid run onto the board, which leaves the slices noticeably dry. Ten minutes also firms the loaf up enough to slice cleanly instead of crumbling apart under the knife.
Why two eggs for a pound and a half of meat?
Eggs bind the crumbs and the meat together, and two is the amount that holds a free-form loaf upright. One egg leaves the loaf crumbling apart on the sheet pan the moment you try to slice it. Three or more pushes it toward a rubbery, meatball-like texture, because egg protein sets firm as it heats.
