This is the best classic meatloaf recipe, which has been pinned over 50k times on Pinterest. Reviewers say that it’s the first meatloaf they’ve ever loved, and that this is the last recipe they’ll ever use for meatloaf. I hope you love it as much as most do! Enjoy! And thank you so very much for visiting my blog. xo -Erica
Shortly after Jamie returned home from his first deployment in February 2012 and we began “real” married life, I had a conversation with his mom about how I was already running out of dinner ideas. I’d been so used to eating pasta and Lean Cuisines while he was gone and wanted to up my “dinner game” and finally feel like a wife. 🙂 A few hours later she emailed me a big attachment with a handful of Jamie’s favorite meals growing up as well as some of their traditional family recipes.
The Best Classic Meatloaf Recipe
There’s one recipe in particular that I’ve referred back to dozens of times throughout the last few years that never fails as a crowd pleaser; of all things – meatloaf! Many of my girlfriends have also adopted this as their staple meatloaf recipe. It can’t be beat!
Though I was never a meatloaf fan growing up (just the idea of it used to gross me out for no good reason), this family recipe completely changed my mind! Passed down from Jamie’s paternal great-grandmother’s sister (cool, right?), this meal tastes incredibly savory and sweet and also does a stellar job of making the entire house smell good (side note: I weirdly find it extremely gratifying when my husband walks in the door and immediately pauses and grins before letting out a big Man, it smells good in here!).
The Best Classic Meatloaf Recipe: Our Not-So-Secret Family Recipe
- FOR THE MEATLOAF:
- 1.25 lb. ground beef or ground turkey (we usually do ground turkey and never taste the difference!)
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup milk
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 diced onion
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- FOR THE SAUCE:
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp vinegar
- 3 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Combine meatloaf ingredients well and then shape in meatloaf pan.
- Combine sauce ingredients and pour over meatloaf.
- Bake uncovered for 50 minutes if using ground BEEF and 65 minutes if using ground TURKEY.
- Enjoy immensely!
More of my favorite recipes on the blog that I highly recommend for your family!
Click here for the very best blueberry mojito (lightened up!) that you’ll ever taste!
Are you a pasta lover? Don’t miss these noodles with a creamy marinara sauce and sausage. So popular and yummy! Click here for the recipe.
Want a quick week-night pizza? This Naan bread pizza is TO DIE FOR. Click here for the recipe.
Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo
