Classic Beef Meatloaf
If you're looking for the BEST old-fashioned classic beef meatloaf I have you covered with this family favorite recipe. It's packed full of flavor and topped with a lightly sweetened ketchup mixture. Trust me, you'll love this simple meatloaf recipe!
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 4 slices white bread cut into small cubes
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon dried poultry seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons light karo syrup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, set aside.
- In a large bowl add ground beef, cubed bread, eggs, milk, chopped onion, chopped celery, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, poultry seasoning, and black pepper.
- Using your hands, mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Because the meat is cold I usually have to take a few breaks to warm my hands up while mixing. You can also use a silicone spatula BUT I think it gets better mixed by hand.
- Once your meat is mixed place it on the baking sheet and form into a loaf. I usually make my loaf about 6 inches wide by 12 inches long.
- Add to the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- While the meatloaf bakes mix together ketchup, dark brown sugar, and light Karo syrup.
- After an hour of baking remove the meatloaf, top with ketchup mixture, and place back into the oven.
- Cook for another 15 minutes or until the meatloaf is fully cooked (it should feel firm) and the ketchup mixture on the top has started to bubble.
- Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, slice, and enjoy.
Notes
- If you don't want to use light Karo syrup in the ketchup mixture you can add more brown sugar or completely leave it out. How sweet you like your ketchup mixture can vary from person to person.
- I like to use 85/15 or 90/10 for my meatloaf. You need some fat so the meatloaf does not dry out while baking. 80/20 makes a good meatloaf too but it will give off a bit more fat.
- I like to line my baking sheet with foil as it's much easier to clean up. The foil will catch all the fat that comes out of the meatloaf while baking.
- Dried poultry seasoning is typically a mix of sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, nutmeg, and black pepper.
Nutrition
Serving: 1g | Calories: 878kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 70g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 21g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 299mg | Sodium: 1333mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g
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