Best Meatloaf Recipe

best meatloaf recipeThis recipe brings back fond memories for me as it was a dish my daughter, Allison, loved from the time she was a little girl. It became her all time favorite dish and she would always request it, no matter what the occasion was. Be it a birthday, coming home on a college break, or when she became a working woman. It was a dish she always looked forward to. It got to the point that we would all refer to this meatloaf recipe as “Ali’s Meatloaf”.

I fondly remember the times I would be a houseguest at Allison’s apartment after she graduated college and was living in Chicago and working for an ad agency. I proudly would see her off to work in the morning, a serious and hardworking young woman, and I knew then that my daughter had grown up and was now on her own. My one way to bring back those moments of us being together was through food. So, out to the store I would go and load up with all the ingredients to make Ali’s home cooked meatloaf, along with her other favorites, mash potatoes, onion-tomato sauce topping , and canned peas.

It is such an easy meatloaf recipe to prepare, plus simple to make in advance.

The meatloaf recipe calls for 2 lbs. ground beef, way more than a single person can eat. So, I would divide the meatloaf in individual foil loaf pans, bake, cool and wrap in foil and place in her freezer. I would also freeze the onion-tomato sauce.

This was such a treat for her. She would remove a loaf from the freezer before leaving for work and just needed to reheat in the microwave, warm a small can of peas and prepare precooked mash potatoes. She said it made her feel so comforted. I hope this recipe will give you and yours some cherished memories of home.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lb ground beef (chuck, round)
  • 1/4 cups plain dry bread crumbs
  • 1 envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 cups water
  • 1/3 cups ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Topping:

  • 1/4 cups ketchup
  • 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • Dash Worchestershire sauce
  • 3 slices uncooked bacon

Directions:

easy meatloaf recipe

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In large bowl, combine first seven ingredients and mix until well blended.
  3. Shape into a loaf to fit a 13×9 inch loaf pan.
  4. Mix together next three ingredients, ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.
  5. Spread mixture to cover top of loaf. Place strips of bacon on top of sauce (optional).
  6. Bake 1 hour or until done. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Variation:

  1. 3-4 small foil loaf pans can be used to make individual loaves.
  2. Top and bake as above.
  3. After cooling, wrap in heavy duty aluminum foil, label and freeze.
  4. Thaw.
  5. Heat in the microwave or oven 6-8 minutes on reheat (80% power).

perfect meatloaf

My recipe for serving canned peas:

  1. Place the juice from a can of peas (Le Sueur small peas) in a microwave bowl and add a few tablespoons finely chopped onion.
  2. Cover bowl.
  3. Microwave for 2 minutes on medium heat to soften the onions.
  4. Add the peas and microwave 1 minute.

One Response to “Best Meatloaf Recipe”

  1. Edwina Weed says:

    Thanks for that, and for any readers that are having trouble chopping onions without the tears, here’s an incredibly simple tip – put them in the fridge first, then chop them straight away after taking them out! No more tears! I found some more onion soup recipes here if anyone wants to try some more recipes.

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