Basic Meatloaf

Meat Loaf is one of those things that everyone can make into their own. You start changing what you add to it, or how much you use of one ingredient or the other.

My mother used to have a very simple recipe and then change it around. She might add mushrooms to it or just put them on the top. Or she would make a sauce to add to it once you served it to your plate. There was always something going on with it, but at the end of the day, it was just a simple meat loaf.

I like to serve green peas or asparagus with it.

Meat Loaf

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon Worchestershire Sauce
  • 1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup minced onions
  • 1/2 Cubanelle pepper (minced)(optional)
  • Cilantro (coriander) to taste

Glaze

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard

NOTE: The most important thing about this recipe is the milk and the breadcrumbs. Don’t skimp on either. Nor the egg.

Some people like to use a bread loaf pan. That’s what I like. Other people like to cook it in an open pan so it browns on the sides also. If you do, make more of the ketchup mixture.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 350°F.

Step 2

In a small bowl, stir together the breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Add the milk. If you made your own breadcrumbs, let them get nice and wet with the milk. My mother, actually, would toast a couple of white bread slices. Better if it was older bread, she always said. Then she would crumble them and add the milk.

Step 3

Mince the Onion.

Step 4

In a large bowl, add the beef, egg, Worcestershire Sauce, breadcrumb-milk mixture, garlic powder, minced onion and Cubanelle pepper if you opted for it. Use your hands to mix the ingredients together until combined. Be careful to not over mix.

Step 5


Place the mixture in your choice pan. 

Step 6


In a separate small bowl, mix the glaze ingredients. Some people like to add brown sugar to this, but I find that the ketchup is already sweet enough.

Step 7


Spread the glaze evenly over the top of the meatloaf.

Step 8

Bake the meatloaf for about 50-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Allow it to rest a few minutes before serving.