The best easy comfort food recipe you can make using ground beef and a tasty sticky sauce on top is Granny's Classic Meatloaf. This is the ultimate easy-to-make dinner that your entire family will enjoy.
Why this recipe works:
If you're wondering what to cook for dinner tonight, you can't go wrong with a Classic Meatloaf. There are a ton of different recipes out there, but this one is different. There are several reasons this recipe has been viewed over 1 Million times!
This recipe incorporates chopped sauteed onions into the meatloaf which adds amazing texture and flavor. It takes a bit of time and effort but you'll find that it is totally worth it.
This recipe uses milk. It may seem odd, but the milk adds a richness and really helps it keep it's shape.
Most importantly, the simple sauce on top adds a tremendous amount of flavor and gets wonderfully sticky as it cooks.
How to make this recipe:
This classic recipe consists of two parts: the meatloaf and the sauce on top.
To make the meatloaf:
- Start by sauteing some onion and garlic in butter (photo 1 below). Adding raw onion to the meatloaf would be too intense. Cooking them first and allowing them to cool before combining with the remaining ingredients allows you to get the best onion and garlic flavors without them being to harsh or intense.
- Next, the recipe is super easy to make because you simply add the ground beef to a large bowl (photo 2) and add all of the remaining ingredients including an egg, panko bread crumbs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and salt (photo 3) along with the cooled sauteed onion and garlic.
- Once mixed, the meatloaf gets shaped it into a mound on a baking sheet (photo 4). I always use parchment paper for easy clean up. This is how my family has been making meatloaf since I was a kid.
To make the sauce:
- While the meatloaf is cooking, mix up the super simple sauce (photo 5). This easy combination of ketchup, brown sugar, and spicy brown mustard is just what the meatloaf needs.
- Half way though the cooking time, the meatloaf gets covered in the sauce which gets extra sticky and delicious while it cooks.
How long to cook it:
There are two considerations when cooking a meatloaf recipe like this one: cook time and temperature. You see, depending on the size and shape of the meatloaf you make, the time will vary.
If you make it in a loaf pan, your cooking time could be longer because the meatloaf is taller and more compact.
If you bake it on a baking sheet like I did, it will generally be more flat, thus increasing it's surface area and cooking faster.
A general cooking time range would be anywhere from an hour to an hour and twenty minutes.
The only sure way to know when your homemade meatloaf is done cooking is to verify the internal temperature is 160 degrees F.
Cooking tips for perfect results:
- Don't over work the meatloaf while mixing. Mix it just until everything is combined.
- If you really like the ketchup topping, double that part of the recipe!
- If you prefer the crunchy outer layer, consider making your meatloaf flat so that you have more surface area to get crispy. This will also reduce your cooking time.
- Always use a trusted meat thermometer to verify that the meatloaf is done.
Related recipes:
You can't enjoy the perfect homemade meatloaf without some tasty side dishes to go alongside it. Here are some of my favorites.
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Gorgonzola Celery Root Mashed Potatoes
- Brown Butter Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic
- Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
- Perfect Garlic Sauteed Asparagus
Recipe video below!
Did you make this recipe? Please leave me a comment below to let me know what you think!
Granny's Classic Meatloaf
RECIPE VIDEO WILL AUTOPLAY
Ingredients
Meatloaf:
- 1 medium sized onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Topping (see note):
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
Instructions
- Preheat oven or grill to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
- Melt butter in saute pan over medium heat. Cook onions until fragrant and slightly brown while stirring occasionally, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add garlic, cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
- In large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, milk, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, salt and cooked onions and garlic. Use hands to mix well, but try not to over work the meat. Shape into loaf on parchment lined baking sheet. Use sharp knife to cut a criss cross pattern on top.
- Bake uncovered in the preheated oven 40 minutes. While meatloaf is cooking, combine ketchup with mustard and brown sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
- After 40 minutes of cooking, spread ketchup mixture over the top of the meatloaf and continue baking for about 30-35 minutes to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).
Notes
Cooking tips for perfect results:
- Don't over work the meatloaf while mixing. Mix it just until everything is combined.
- If you really like the ketchup topping, double that part of the recipe!
- If you prefer the crunchy outer layer, consider making your meatloaf flat so that you have more surface area to get crispy. This will also reduce your cooking time.
- Always use a trusted meat thermometer to verify that the meatloaf is done.
NUTRITION INFORMATION
This recipe was originally created in October 2018 and has been updated with helpful information and cooking tips. Don't worry - I didn't change the recipe!
Gwen
My husband and I liked the recipe but he told me not to put thyme in it next time...not a flavor either of us like...