The best easy meatloaf recipe you can make using ground beef and a tasty meatloaf sauce on top is Granny’s Classic Meatloaf.
Similiar to my mini bacon wrapped meatloaf recipe, Granny’s Classic Meatloaf is the ultimate easy-to-make dinner comfort food that your entire family will enjoy.
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CLASSIC MEATLOAF RECIPE
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If you’re wondering what to cook for dinner tonight, you can’t go wrong with Granny’s Classic Meatloaf. Much like Granny’s Monkey Bread and Granny’s Beef and Noodles recipes, this easy ground beef meatloaf recipe with a tasty meatloaf sauce on top will please everyone’s taste buds.
How to make meatloaf:
This classic meatloaf recipe consists of two parts: the meatloaf and the meatloaf sauce on top.
To make the meatloaf, start by sauteing some onion and garlic in butter. Adding raw onion to the meatloaf would be too intense. Cooking them first and allowing them to cool before combining with the remaining meatloaf ingredients allows you to get the best onion and garlic flavors without them being to harsh or intense.
This meatloaf recipe is super easy to make because you simply combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and shape it into a mound on a baking sheet. I always use parchment paper for easy clean up. This is how my family has been making meatloaf since I was a kid.
While the meatloaf is cooking, mix up the super simple meatloaf sauce. This easy combination of ketchup, brown sugar, and spicy brown mustard is just what the meatloaf needs. I like to add it half way though the cooking time.
How long to cook meatloaf:
There are two considerations when cooking a meatloaf recipe like this one: meatloaf cook time and meatloaf temp. You see, depending on the size and shape of the meatloaf you make, the time will vary.
If you make your classic meatloaf in a loaf pan, your cooking time could be longer because the meatloaf is taller and more compact. If you bake your meatloaf 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 easy homemade meatloaf recipe is done cooking is to verify the internal temperature is 160 degrees F.
Perfect side dishes to serve with Granny’s Classic Meatloaf:
- 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
Watch my meatloaf recipe video below!
Granny's Classic Meatloaf
RECIPE VIDEO
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
Nutrition
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Emily Hill
October 18, 2018 at 12:08 pmI honestly love meatloaf. It’s true comfort food. Totally pinning!
Erin Sellin
October 18, 2018 at 1:54 pmThis is making me hungry! Adding this to our menu this week!
Aimee Shugarman
October 19, 2018 at 6:21 amGranny’s know their meatloaf, this is the best recipe!
Sabrina
October 19, 2018 at 6:34 amMeatloaf is such a family favorite! So hearty and delicious. Can’t wait to try your recipe.
Julie
October 19, 2018 at 6:42 amThis is my husband’s new favorite! Thanks for the great recipe.
Judi
October 21, 2018 at 3:23 pmWould I be able to make this in a slow cooker?
Krissy
October 22, 2018 at 9:45 amYou bet! The slow cooker should act just like your oven. I’m not sure how long to cook it for, so you’ll need to depend on a meat thermometer and I would hold off on adding the sauce until closer to the end.
Jo
December 23, 2018 at 4:34 amHi! What type of ground beef would you use Krissy? As far as fat content. And also can this recipe be cooked in a meatloaf pan?
Krissy
December 23, 2018 at 8:27 amI usually prefer lean but it will work with any kind of ground beef. If you don’t use lean, you’ll just get more fat that leaks out. I also prefer it on a baking sheet because I love the crispy outside, but you can certainly make it in a loaf pan.
Bailey
December 28, 2018 at 5:30 pmLooks so good! While using a baking sheet, will it loose its shape in the baking process?
Krissy
January 7, 2019 at 4:09 pmNope! If your meat is real fatty, you’ll get some grease that cooks out, but for the most part it holds its shape well!
Imani
December 29, 2018 at 11:12 amSounds absolutely by far delicious!! I will be making this recipe tonight! Thanks for the recipe! My family hates onions and garlic any other good substitutes?
Krissy
January 7, 2019 at 3:31 pmHi Imani, Onion powder and garlic powder would work just as well for flavor and the onion and garlic haters might be okay with it.
Katy
January 11, 2019 at 7:25 pmThis was the best meatloaf I’ve ever made! Probably best I’ve ever eaten! Seriously! I love that it’s one big loaf…enough for the whole family!
Krissy
January 13, 2019 at 7:28 amSo glad you liked it!!
Peter
January 21, 2019 at 3:38 pmSmells so deeeeelicious!…..added some bacon strips on top just like my mom does
Krissy
January 22, 2019 at 8:32 amYou can NEVER go wrong with bacon!
Valentina
January 28, 2019 at 10:50 amThank you for this great recipe. I made it first time and it is already a big hit with my family. I believe the secret to this dish is cooking the onions in butter. It gives the dish a special flavor. Thank you again for sharing, a great recipe !!
Diane
January 31, 2019 at 2:55 pmThis came out delicious. I didn’t have Panko at home so just used seasoned bread crumbs and didn’t make the topping, don’t like ketchup on my meatloaf. This has now become my go to meatloaf recipe. Thanks!
LouAnnHoneywell
February 8, 2019 at 6:01 amThat is how I have always made mine, except for a different topping. Always a hit.
Sharon
February 8, 2019 at 6:25 pmI don’t think grandma ever used Panko bread crumbs. She probably used bread soaked in milk. I will try this recipe though. Thank you for posting it.
Krissy
February 9, 2019 at 5:17 amI think the panko bread crumbs turned into one of my tweaks over the years. 🙂
NT
February 10, 2019 at 5:12 pmI made this tonight and it was awesome. Very easy with simple ingredients from your pantry yet awesome flavor. Thanks for the great recipe,,
Agnes Devane
February 11, 2019 at 3:52 pmCan the meatloaf be frozen if extra is made?
Krissy
February 14, 2019 at 5:20 amYes! Just be sure to wrap it extra air tight to keep away the freezer burn. To reheat you might want to make more of the ketchup sauce because it’ll stick to whatever you wrap it in.
Katie
February 21, 2019 at 4:14 pmI’m trying this for the first time it smells amazing I can’t wait to try it!! Thank you bunches for sharing this recipe!! Can’t wait to try some more of your recipes soon!!
linda
February 25, 2019 at 6:34 pmSounds delicious, but our favorite has always been Tomato Soup on top ! Mix with a little bit of water and smear it over the whole thing and some in the bottom of the pan. (Roasting pan). It makes for a delicious ‘gravy’ for the mashed potatoes!
Kellie Flores
March 2, 2019 at 2:17 pmhow much ground beed? a pound?
Krissy
March 6, 2019 at 12:21 pmHi Kellie, For this recipe I used two pounds but you can definitely cut in half if you need a smaller portion.
Michael K Pung
March 8, 2019 at 10:53 amThis is a great meatloaf recipe! I’ve cooked it both on parchment paper and in a loaf pan. Great either way. If you use very lean mix (I use ground sirloin from local butcher shop) it works well in a pan and you can lift it right out when done for slicing. I just made it for lunch and used Herbes de Provence instead of straight thyme and it was extraordinary. Thank you!
Krissy
March 10, 2019 at 8:23 amLOVE the Herbes de Provence recommendation. I’ll have to try that next time. Thank you!
VIncent
March 11, 2019 at 6:36 pmI made this tonight. It was delicious and my wife loved it! I added a little sriracha to the ketchup sauce for a little extra kick. Thanks for the recipe!
Ron
April 4, 2019 at 8:42 amBest Meatloaf I ever cooked,I cook it once a week now. I bought the Meatloaf mix which has veal,sausage and hamburger. It really kicked it up a notch and my parents love it also and my 82 year old mom hated Meatloaf but she requests this one now.
Anna
April 4, 2019 at 2:24 pmCould this be made ahead of time and stored in the refridgerator? If so would it change baking time?
Krissy
April 7, 2019 at 4:45 amHi Anna, Yes, you can make everything ahead and store in the refrigerator. I would recommend letting it sit at room temperature for an hour or so before baking and not adjusting cooking temp. If you go straight from the fridge to the oven you’ll probably have to increase the cooking time by about 10 minutes.
Robb
April 12, 2019 at 10:11 pmI’m happy I tried this tonight. It turned out moist and flavorful and the whole family enjoyed it. Sautéing the onions added a nice flavor and is worth the little bit of extra time. I doubled the topping, which was a good idea as everyone enjoyed it and my son actually licked his plate. There’s a little left over, and I’m looking forward to trying it in sandwiches tomorrow. Next time I think I’ll add a little more garlic and black pepper, and try heating the topping in a sauce pan before cooking to see if the sugars will caramelize a little more. It looks like this meatloaf is going to be a regular on our dinner table. Thank you! —Robb
Angie Wilson
April 14, 2019 at 1:39 pmWhat can I use instead of the mustard?
Krissy
April 23, 2019 at 11:54 amYou can omit or you can use ground mustard or spicy brown mustard.
Kate
May 16, 2019 at 2:55 pmMy mother’s is similar but with a few changes: replace the bread crumbs with 6 slices of white sandwich bread that you have saturated with water and squeezed out; omit milk; add about 3/4 of a block of Monterey cheese that you have cut into 1/4 inch cubes; the rest is like your recipe. If she wanted leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches, she would leave off the red sauce. Personally, when I make it I don’t use the sauce but put it on the table for anyone to add if they want. That way you can use leftovers for lunch sandwiches. The meatloaf cuts really thinly when it is cold.