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Dinner · American

Classic Meatloaf

A tender beef loaf bound with milk-soaked crumbs and finished with a ketchup glaze that sets in the oven.

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Classic Meatloaf

15 minPrep55 minCook70 minTotal

Amounts scale with servings. Pan size and cooking time may need adjusting for larger batches.

Ingredients

Let’s make it

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and oil it lightly.

  2. 2

    Stir milk and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Add beef, egg, onion, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Mix with your hands just until combined.

  3. 3

    Shape into a freeform loaf about 9 inches long. Stir ketchup and brown sugar and spread it over the top.

  4. 4

    Bake for 50–55 minutes, until the center reaches 160°F. Rest for 10 minutes, then slice.

A few things that help

Grating the onion keeps the loaf moist without big raw pieces.

A freeform loaf browns better than one packed into a deep pan.

Use what you have

Use half ground pork and half beef if you like a slightly richer loaf; cook to 160°F.

Tomato sauce can replace ketchup in the glaze.

Your questions, answered

How do I keep meatloaf from falling apart?

Give the crumbs time to soak, and do not skip the egg. Resting the loaf before slicing helps it hold.

Can I freeze meatloaf?

Cool completely, wrap slices, and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat covered at 325°F until 165°F in the center.

Keep something good going

Cooking mode

Classic Meatloaf