Blue Plate Special: The Very Best Meatloaf Recipe. I promise! (2024)

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I don’t take stating that this is the best meatloaf recipe lightly. I’ve made many meatloaf recipes over the years. This meatloaf has a blend of beef and pork, plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables and is baked to a moist perfection. It’s the tangy glaze that makes this meatloaf so popular with my family. It’s so good, that you really don’t need gravy– and if there are any leftovers, you’ve got yourself an incredible meatloaf sandwich!

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If this recipe seems familiar, that’s because I first posted it in 2009– and the recipe became one of my most popular. There’s a good reason for it. It’s truly the best meatloaf I’ve ever made or eaten!

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I had no idea that this meatloaf recipe would become my #1 most viewed blog post of all time! Every day, people are internet searching for “The Best Meatloaf Recipe” and this is where they end up. I’m so glad that you found me! I have made so many different meatloaf recipes, over the years.
For years, I made the Quaker Oats version, with canned cream of mushroom soup. Truth be told… I think it’s yummy. But that was BEFORE I swore off processed foods and canned cream soups.

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This recipe is one I’ve made for several years. It’s from Food Network, “Sarah’s Secrets“. Unfortunately Sarah Moulton’s show is no longer on the air, but I still love this recipe!

The secret is using a mixture of beef, veal and pork. NOTE: I understand if you don’t want to use veal. I only buy grass fed, free-range red meat, these days. If you don’t want to use veal, use beef and pork. There is such a different flavor and texture, compared to using just ground beef. If you use all-beef, then the meatloaf tastes like a big burger. If you use turkey, the meatloaf will be very dry– unless you use a panade. At that point, you’ve changed the recipe so much, that I cannot guarantee success! What makes this recipes so full of flavor is the marjoram and thyme. I like the idea of cooking the onion and garlic, instead of adding them to the mixture raw. I’m not wild about hot sauce, but it works in this recipe.

If you hate meatloaf…. I hope you will reconsider this version. If you have your own recipe, and believe yours is the best ever–stick around. I want to share a tip that I learned on America’s Test Kitchen (Cook’s Illustrated). It changed how I cook my meatloaf, and it makes cleanup so much better.

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Instead of using a loaf pan, you get better results by using a baking sheet, baking rack and foil. Why? Think about it! The warm air circulates all around the meatloaf, so that it doesn’t steam. Also, the delicious tangy glaze gets coated all around the top and the sides!

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In a skillet, with a little olive oil, you cook 1 1/2 cups onion and 3 garlic cloves, until tender– about 5 minutes. Set it aside to cool. One of the secrets to a moist meatloaf is to make a “panade”. That’s a fancy word for bread and milk paste. With this recipe, I made combined milk, eggs and hot sauce (hold that thought on hot sauce). See that photo (above) of a Calabrian Chili Paste? I’ve grown to love it as a way to add some “zip” to recipes, without being fire engine hot. I prefer it over hot sauce. Either one works well, though.

Sooooo, let’s talk about the “meat” in meatloaf. Please, don’t use 100% ground beef! Years ago, a person left me a rude comment that the meatloaf tasted so bad, she threw it all out. (Fortunately, I was defended by other commenters that the meatloaf was delicious). Wow! It turns out, said person used only ground beef. What she made was a giant hamburger! You really want the combination of ground beef AND pork. Adding ground veal is entirely up to you, but I understand this is a touchy subject for some people. Personally, I’ve switched to only lean ground beef and pork.

After combining the liquid mixture and the cooled onion and garlic, add the meat mixture and fresh parsley.

There. I’m ready to make the glaze. All it takes are three ingredients– ketchup, brown sugar and apple cider vinegar.

The Very Best Glazed Meatloaf

This meatloaf has a blend of beef and pork, plenty of fresh herbs and vegetables and is baked to a moist perfection. It’s the tangy glaze that makes this meatloaf so popular with my family. It’s so good, that you really don’t need gravy– and if there are any leftovers, you’ve got yourself an incredible meatloaf sandwich!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time55 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

MEATLOAF:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 cup onion chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon hot sauce I use Calabrian Chile Paste
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
1 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 pound chuck ground beef
1/2 pound veal optional. Use half pork and beef if you can’t find ground veal or don’t buy veal.
1/2 pound ground pork
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley minced

GLAZE:

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F
In a skillet over moderate heat, add the oil.
Heat the oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, mustard, and hot sauce together. Add marjoram, thyme, salt, and pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the meats, egg-milk mixture, bread crumbs, parsley, and the cooked onion mixture.
In a small bowl stir together ketchup, sugar, and vinegar. Set aside.
OPTIONAL STEP: Form 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture into a small patty, add it to a small oiled skillet, and cook until no longer pink. Taste for seasoning and adjust.
Place the shaped loaf on top of the foil. I prefer this method, as the loaf is less likely to "steam" in a loaf pan. You can also glaze all around the meatloaf, which is even better! Otherwise, transfer meat mixture to an oiled loaf pan.
Brush meat with ketchup glaze. Bake in oven for about 45 minutes, until glaze has set.
Brush meat loaf with remaining glaze and bake for 15 minutes more; glaze again.
My oven takes 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach the desired doneness. Times do vary, so allow for that!
Internal temperature of loaf should be 160 degrees F.

Notes

NOTE: I have, since, discovered that I can mix all the wet ingredients in my Kitchen Aid mixer bowl, then add the meat and cooked onions and garlic. I turn the mixer on LOW for a few minutes– so much easier and less messier!

*NOTE: The best way to make the meatloaf is to use a baking sheet, lined with foil. Place a cooling rack on top. Cut a piece of foil to be larger than a the loaf– and shape the meat into a loaf. Using a metal skewer, poke holes along the foil…usually every other hole.

Recipe source: Sarah Moulton, Food Network