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This meatloaf recipe solves all the common grievances people have with meatloaf. Or at least the grievances I had with meatloaf. I never liked the texture of one large loaf. The loaf would sit in its fat and be a sloppy, ugly mess coming out of the oven. I also think raw onion in meatloaf never gets cooked enough and you have these white dots spread throughout the meat like chocolate chips in a chocolate chip cookie. The final product was a fatty, underdone (or sometimes overdone), raw onion-y meatloaf. No one is getting excited about that.
With this meatloaf recipe, you get deliciously seasoned beef that’s mixed with caramelized onions to create cohesion between the meat and onions. Also, I learned to form the meat into individual loaves from the great Ina Garten and I can never make it any other way. The meat gets fully and evenly cooked. The individual loaves ensure there aren’t overcooked end pieces with and undercooked center. Everything cooks perfectly and the sticky sweet topping puts it over the top. This meatloaf is a family favorite for a reason.
This pairs perfectly with either my mashed potatoes, crunchy garlic potatoes or smashed potatoes.
Tips for the Best Meatloaf Recipe
- Cook the onions before adding to the mixture. This adds flavor and ensures the onions are fully cooked. There is nothing worse than biting into meatloaf with a hunk of undercooked onion.
- Use panko instead of traditional breadcrumbs.
- Don’t use a milk substitute in this recipe.
- Make individual loaves. They’re just more special and ensures the meat cooks evenly.
- Bake on a broiler pan. That’s the 2-piece pan that has a slotted lid. You line the bottom pan with foil and place the meatloaf on the slotted lid. The fat cooks out and drips down onto the foil. It’s super easy cleanup and gets the fat away from the meat.
Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 3 lbs ground chuck
- 1 1/2 C panko bread crumbs
- 3/4 C milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 onion diced, cooked
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- Topping:
- 1 C ketchup
- 2 TB mustard
- 3 TB brown sugar
Instructions
- Cook onion in olive oil over medium heat until caramelized. In a large bowl add ground chuck, panko, salt, pepper, garlic powder, milk, eggs and cooked onion. Mix well and form 8-10 individual meat loaves. Bake on a broiler pan lined with foil. In a saucepan, combine ketchup, mustard and brown sugar over medium heat until it bubbles and top loaves with topping. Bake at 375 for an hour.