Recipe updated: July 17th, 2024
This classic ground beef meatloaf recipe is not only tasty, but it’s also a moist meatloaf that is made with simple ingredients and a variety of seasonings and spices. This is an easy meatloaf recipe to make that is full of flavor and always a family favorite at dinnertime for the whole family.
Some great side dishes that go along with this delicious meatloaf are homemade mac and cheese, hot buttered green beans with lots of black pepper, garlic bread, or boiled baby potatoes.
🔪 Meatloaf Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup diced yellow onion
- 3 slices of bread torn into pieces
- 8 crumbled saltine crackers
- 2 egg whites
- 4 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
⏲️ How to Make Classic Ground Beef Meatloaf
These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.
Step 1. Preheat the Oven
Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 2. Prepare the Bread Crumb Mixture
In a large bowl, add 1/2 cup of milk together with 2 egg whites. Then, add the torn pieces of bread and the crumbled saltine crackers to the milk and egg white mixture. Let the pieces of bread and crumbled crackers soak for a few minutes in the milk and egg white mixture.
Note: This meatloaf recipe uses whole wheat bread, but you can use any bread that is your favorite, for example, white bread, potato bread, or gluten-free bread.
Step 3. Combine the Lean Ground Beef
Add 1 pound of lean ground beef together with the milk, egg whites, pieces of bread, and crumbled saltine crackers. Mix the meat mixture until well blended.
Step 4. Throw in the Diced Onions
Put 1/4 cup of diced yellow onions in the bowl together with the lean ground beef mixture. Mix until thoroughly blended.
Step 5. Add the Seasonings
Add 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon of ground mustard, 1/4 teaspoon of rubbed sage, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, together with the lean ground beef mixture.
Step 6. Mix the Meatloaf Mixture Thoroughly
Stir the seasonings together with the meatloaf mixture. You can use a spoon, spatula, or even your clean hands to mix the ingredients altogether.
Step 7. Put the Ground Beef Mixture in a Loaf Pan
Lightly coat a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. With a spoon or spatula, scoop out the lean ground beef mixture from the bowl and put it into the loaf pan. Put the loaf pan in the preheated oven for 35 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tip: If you want easy clean up, line the loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper. You won’t have to use nonstick cooking spray, either. After the meatloaf is done in the oven, just lift the parchment paper out of the loaf pan, set it on a platter, then cut slices to serve.
Step 8. Make the Meatloaf Sauce
While the meatloaf is in the oven, use a small bowl to mix 4 tablespoons of ketchup together with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar. Mix it thoroughly and then set it aside for now.
Step 9. Spread the Meatloaf Sauce on the Baked Meatloaf
After the meatloaf bakes for 35 minutes, take it out of the oven using heat-resistant oven mitts. Then, spread the meatloaf sauce (the ketchup and brown sugar mixture we made earlier) on top of the meatloaf.
Put the meatloaf back into the oven for another 20 minutes. After that, the meatloaf is ready to be served for dinner. Cut into individual slices and enjoy!
Tip: To ensure a safe temperature, use an instant read thermometer, also known as a meat thermometer, to check the internal temperature of the meatloaf. The best way to do that is to insert the thermometer into the center or thickest part of the meatloaf. It should read 165 degrees.
🌟 Recipe Variations
- Add extra flavor, such as Italian seasoning, BBQ sauce, or hot red pepper flakes.
- Chop some green peppers and add them to the meatloaf mixture when you add the onions.
🙋 FAQs
You can leave the meatloaf in the loaf pan it was baked in and cover it with plastic wrap or put it in an airtight container, then put it in the refrigerator.
To reheat it the next day, cover it with aluminum foil and put it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until it is hot enough to eat. Or, make yourself a cold meatloaf sandwich for lunch.
Yes, you can freeze leftover meatloaf. Use an airtight container that is safe for the freezer or a freezer bag. Meatloaf can last about three or four months in the freezer, then you should make sure to use it up after that.
💭 Final Thoughts
Our family loves this traditional meatloaf recipe. It’s a simple meatloaf recipe with warm savory flavors and just the right amount of seasonings.
When there’s not a lot of time in your life to spend in the kitchen, prepare this delicious homemade meatloaf recipe the night before, then put it in the refrigerator. The next night for dinner, pop it in the oven. Dinner will be served within the hour.
📋 Printable Recipe Card
Classic Ground Beef Meatloaf
🫕 Equipment
- 1 Loaf pan
🧂 Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/4 cup yellow onion (diced)
- 3 slices of bread (torn into pieces)
- 8 saltine crackers (crumbled)
- 2 egg whites
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard
- 1/4 tsp rubbed sage
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
👩🍳 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a bowl, mix together the milk and egg whites.
- Add the pieces of bread and crumbled crackers to the milk and egg white mixture. Let the mixture soak for a few minutes.
- Add the lean ground beef to the milk, egg whites, pieces of bread, and crumbled crackers. Mix together.
- Dice the onion. Add the diced onions to the lean ground beef mixture. Mix together thoroughly.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, rubbed sage, and black pepper to the lean ground beef mixture. Mix together.
- Coat a loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the lean ground beef mixture evenly into the loaf pan. Put the loaf pan in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 35 minutes.
- Mix the ketchup and brown sugar in a small bowl.
- After the meatloaf is done baking for 35 minutes, use heat-resistant oven mitts to remove the meatloaf from the oven. Spread the ketchup and brown sugar mixture on the top of the meatloaf.
- Put the meatloaf back into the oven for another 20 minutes.
*️⃣ Recipe Notes
- Green beans sprinkled with lots of pepper
- Mashed potatoes
- Baked potatoes
- Mac and cheese
- Canned corn
- Salad and or veggies
- Buttered dinner rolls
💟 More Great Recipe Ideas You Will Love
- Try this easy oven baked potato recipe without the use of aluminum foil.
- These hot buttered biscuits are made in the air fryer and are so delicious you won’t be able to eat just one.
- We love this buttered cauliflower cooked in a saucepan on the stove.top. It’s so simple to make and so good!
A wife, a mother to a son and a daughter, and a grandmother to three granddaughters. Flo loves sharing recipes passed down from her own mother, her mother-in-law, and her grandmother as well as new recipes created with her daughter, Tamara Ray.
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