This is one of my favorite main dishes since it’s super easy to put together, delicious and bonus! it’s my son’s favorite meal too (with buttery mashed potatoes of course).
There are so many different ways to make meatloaf, try a simple classic style or gourmet, with ground beef or even turkey, full-sized loaves and even mini-muffins.
Here’s a handpicked collection of recipes that I’ve scoured the ‘net for that include all the above and more…but first…
Here’s a vintage Ann Landers recipe that brings back memories, this was one of dishes I grew up on since my aunt was so fond of serving it during family gatherings (she always praised that it never failed her)…
Ann Lander’s World Famous Meatloaf:
2 pounds ground round steak
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs
3/4 cup ketchup
1 tsp. Accent
1/2 cup warm water
1 package Lipton’s onion soup mix
Directions: Beat thoroughly. Put into loaf pan, cover with two strips bacon if you like that flavor. Pour over all one 8-ounce can tomato sauce. Bake one hour at 350 degrees. Serves six. Source.
Ready to see what I’ve found? Here are over two dozen ways you can make meatloaf, they all look so good and how to pick just one! I separated the mini loaves, ground turkey, crockpot and stuffed versions into their own groups (under the main list) for easier browsing. I’ve also added a bunch of tips to the bottom of this page…lots here to keep you busy, enjoy!
*All of these are made with ground beef unless otherwise noted, ingredient lists are summaries only and not complete
- With Bacon: Made with finely diced bacon, grass-fed beef, fresh bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, dried mustard, fresh oregano, fresh basil and lightly beaten eggs. Glaze ingredients: ketchup, soy sauce, Dijon, honey, smoked paprika and cayenne. From Minnesota Monthly.
- Old-Fashioned With Glaze: Onion, bell pepper, canned diced tomatoes, quick-cooking oats, salt, black pepper. Glaze: ketchup, brown sugar and prepared mustard. From Paula Deen.
- Simple Classic: Quick or old fashioned, Quaker Oats, catsup, lightly beaten egg, Worcestershire (or soy sauce), minced garlic. From Quaker Oats.
- With Horseradish: Chuck, dry bread crumbs, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire, salt, brown sugar, pepper, dry mustard, minced garlic. Topped with a mixture of ketchup, brown sugar, horseradish, brown mustard and mustard powder. From Fanksgiving.
- Beef & Pork: Ingredients include bacon or pancetta (medium dice), carrot, celery, olive oil, garlic cloves, dried porcini mushrooms, nutmeg, full-bodied red wine, panko flakes, fresh parsley, fresh tarragon leaves, fennel seed and hot sauce. From Stephen Cooks.
- With Buttermilk & Brown Sugar: Chuck, butter, dried tarragon, dried Italian herbs, buttermilk, Worcestershire, hot sauce. Topped with a glaze of brown sugar, Dijon and cider vinegar. From Food Wishes.
- Italian Loaves: (makes 2 smaller loaves) Made with a beaten egg, Italian bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, green bell pepper, tomato paste, olive oil. From The French Kitchen.
- Classic: Recommends cooking on a baking sheet for a nice all-over crust. Made with slices of white sandwich bread, whole milk, beef chuck, pork, grated onion. From Martha Stewart.
- Classic with Turkey: Ingredients include extra virgin olive oil, green bell pepper, carrot, celery, minced fresh parsley, Worcestershire, Italian style organic tomato paste, fat free ground turkey breast, lean ground beef, Italian style bread crumbs and ketchup. From Veggie By Season.
- Quick & Savory: Egg, Rice Krispies cereal, milk, Worcestershire, dry mustard and topped with a mixture of mushroom soup (can) and red wine. From Kellogg’s Rice Krispies.
- Italian Style: Beef chuck, spicy Italian sausage, Italian parsley, Italian Seasoning, crushed red pepper, cayenne powder, chili powder, tomato juice, dry red wine, fresh basil, sun-dried tomatoes (or fresh) and fresh mozzarella. From la Petite Chef.
- Honey Barbecue: Slice of white bread, Worcestershire, spicy brown mustard, smokey barbecue sauce, honey. From Can You Stay For Dinner.
- With Sauce: Broken or finely chopped sliced bread, vidalia onions (or sweet onion), table salt, black pepper, whole milk or half & half. Topped with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, dark brown sugar and ketchup. From Food.com.
- Spicy With Glaze: Chopped yellow onion, carrots (peeled & chopped), celery, garlic, rolled oats, cayenne powder, fresh thyme, organic ketchup, cumin and Worcestershire. From Sarah Fit.
- Yule Log: Has a mashed potato topping, ingredients include white bread slices (stale and torn), whole milk, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, celery, carrot, dry sherry or dry white wine, beef chuck, extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, dried mustard, cayenne pepper, Worcestershire, lightly beaten eggs. Potatoes: half & half cream (or heavy cream), butter and paprika. From Rachael Ray.
- Brooke’s: Topped with a glaze, ingredients include finely chopped onion, ketchup, eggs, a slice of white bread (torn into pieces). Glaze: ketchup, Dijon and packed light brown sugar. From the Deen Bros.
- Mozzarella: Pizza style topped with mozzarella cheese, ingredients include saltine cracker crumbs, milk, grated Parmesan cheese, dried oregano, pizza sauce, part-skim mozzarella cheese. Optional: green pepper rings, sliced mushrooms, butter and chopped fresh parsley. From Taste of Home.
- Vegetarian: Serves 6, ingredients: butter, celery and carrot, vegetarian bouillon cubes, mushrooms, chopped bell pepper, block tempeh (crumbled), smoked sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts, ketchup, mustard, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, dried thyme, paprika, half & half and topped with a glaze (ketchup, soy sauce, Tabasco, black pepper and sorghum). From Chubby Vegetarian.
- Blue Plate Special: Promises to be the very best, made with a combination of beef, veal and pork and a fantastic glaze. From A Feast For The Eyes.
Miniature:
- Mashed Potato Topped Cupcakes: Both beef and pork, grated onion, garlic powder, panko crumbs, Worcestershire, minced fresh parsley, milk and beaten eggs. Also has chili sauce, dark brown sugar, dry mustard. Potato “Icing”: Chunks of boiled potatoes, half & half (or heavy cream) and melted butter. From Sticky Gooey Creamy Chewy.
- Minis: Ingredients include packed brown sugar, both beef & pork, Original Bisquick mix, small onion and an egg. From Kathie Cooks.
- Cheesy: Chopped onion, diced white cheddar cheese, fresh parsley, grated Parmesan, prepared horseradish, Dijon, dried oregano, sirloin. From My Recipes.
- BBQ: Sirloin, celery, green bell pepper, an egg (with a splash of milk), grill seasoning, smoky barbecue sauce, tomato salsa, Worcestershire, vegetable oil or Extra-Virgin Olive Oil. Found at Food Network.
Turkey:
- Lighter Bacon Cheeseburger: Serves 6, ingredients include whole-wheat bread (torn), low-fat milk, canola oil, mushrooms, shredded zucchini, turkey or chicken, fat-free shredded mozzarella, reduced-fat bacon, ketchup, spicy brown mustard and topped with French friend onions. From Paula Deen.
- Greek Version: Includes nonfat plain Greek yogurt, large eggs, Greek seasoning, chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, fresh thyme or oregano, zest and slices of lemon. From The Perfect Pantry.
- With Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms (sliced), small leeks, shredded fontina or gouda cheese, a slice of day old bread (cubed), a large egg, vegetable oil, prosciutto, fresh sage leaves, lean ground turkey. From Chasing Tomatoes.
Crockpot:
- Taco Style: (crockpot) Cooks on low for about 4 hours. Crushed tortilla chips, shredded Cheddar, salsa, egg substitute, sliced ripe olives, taco seasoning, packed brown sugar and Louisiana-style hot sauce. From Taste of Home.
- Italian Crockpot Version: Cooks on low for up to 8 hours. Milk, olive oil, dried oregano, chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, fresh parsley, Parmesan cheese, and both beef and turkey. Topped with shredded provolone cheese, fresh parsley and oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. From Food & Whine.
Stuffed:
- Stuffed With Prosciutto & Spinach: Carrots, spinach, both lean beef and pork, freshly grated pecorino cheese, eggs, all-purpose flour, thin slices of prosciutto, caciocavallo or provolone cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, rosemary sprigs, dry red wine and water. From Food & Wine.
- Italian Cheese Stuffed: Ingredients include soft French bread crumbs, shredded Parmesan, chopped fresh basil (or dried), pizza sauce, shredded Provolone cheese, roasted red bell peppers and chopped ripe olives. From Betty Crocker.
First published April 17, 2007 and moved to this page for better organization
- Mixing It Up Helpers: Some say meatloaf HAS to be mixed with your bare hands. Others say a thick wooden spoon or even a potato masher will do the job just fine. You could also put all the ingredients in a large ziploc bag, seal, then mash all ingredients together without getting your hands messy. Mix until everything’s blended fairly well, overmixing can give a tough result.
- Make Ahead: Try mixing up 2 or more batches at once. You can cook then freeze or shape into loaves, wrap the raw loaf well and freeze. Just take it out of the freezer and it’s ready to go. I’ve also mixed up all the ingredients, taken out the amount needed for one loaf and packed it in a ziploc bag (without forming into a loaf first). Squish all the meat in from side to side, top to bottom to force out all the air and to make the package really flat. Seal then freeze, it’s a real space saver in the freezer since you can stack the flat packs one on top of the other. All that’s needed is to shape into loaves once the mix has thawed.
- Loaf Sizes: You can make a single loaf in a loaf pan or shape into smaller, individual loaves by cooking them in muffin tins–great for portion control and kids love them too! You can also make them “free form” and placed directly on an oven rack which results in a nice crust all over (have a pan on the rack underneath to catch drippings).
- Cling: If your loaf always sticks and clings to the bottom of the pan, try laying a strip of raw bacon on the bottom of the pan before filling. The bacon not only helps prevent it from sticking to the bottom, it also adds flavor.
- Crumbling: If it’s always crumbling apart when you slice it, let it sit for a few minutes first and then cut into pieces. The loaf will hold together better.
- Filler Ideas: These help bulk up the loaf and stretch your meat, also used to help bind the ingredients. You could use cracker crumbs, bread crumbs (seasoned or plain), quick oats, corn flakes, mushrooms, garlic or seasoned croutons, Stove Top Stuffing and even rice or chopped/grated veggies like carrots.
- Flavor Mix In Ideas: Kick up the flavor with one or more of these ideas–dry onion soup mix, Italian seasonings, chopped onion, horseradish, thyme, sage, oregano, chopped green olives, celery, generous amounts of shredded cheddar cheese.
- Topper Ideas: Try pouring a can of mushroom soup over top 20 to 30 minutes before it’s done for a tasty mushroom gravy. You could also use your favorite tomato or chili sauce–the zestier the better! Also slices of bacon over top is another tasty idea.
- Lazy Stuffing Trick: Place half of the meat in the pan, cover with grated cheddar cheese or mozza cheese and onions then top with the other half of meat. Lightly sauteed mushrooms, garlic & peppers are a nice addition too.
Q&A
*First published January 12, 2010 and moved to this page for better organization
- How long to cook for? It depends on the size of the loaf (especially how deep it is) and the temperature, but a good rule of thumb for a standard loaf size (between 1 and 1.5 pound meatloaf) is between 50 to 70 minutes (and about 75 to 90 minutes for a two pound loaf in a 375° oven). You’ll know when it’s done when the middle is no longer pink and the temperature is 160°F. (see below).
- What temperature should it be when it’s done? The internal temperature (for ground beef) should be at least 160°F. Anything higher will result in a drier meatloaf, anything lower may not be hot enough for food safety.
- How to make it less greasy? Here’s a tip: instead of using a loaf pan, select a larger baking pan and then shape the mixture so it will fit in the middle of the pan with at least 1″ space between all sides. This gives more room for the grease and your meat won’t be swimming in it from top to bottom. Also lay a single layer of sliced bread on the bottom of the pan before filling with mixture, this will absorb a lot of the grease.
- Is it better to bake on the top or bottom rack? Usually on the center or middle rack of the oven unless instructed otherwise.
- Is there a way to cut cooking time? Sure! Instead of making one loaf, make several mini-loaves by filling muffin tins and cooking between 20 and 30 minutes at 375°F (just until the internal temperature is 160°F. and the middle is no longer pink).
- Should it be covered? It depends on whether or not you prefer a crusty or a moist/soft exterior. Covering it will “steam” the meat and results in a moister meatloaf (with some difference in texture). Either way is fine (covered or uncovered) or you could do both: cover for the first half and remove cover for the last half. What’s my pick? I prefer not covering it, I like a crusty outside.
- Can it be mixed ahead of time? You can mix all the ingredients the night before or the morning of, just make sure to refrigerate until you’re ready to heat it.
Do you have a tip or secret not listed above? Please share it below–we’d all love to hear it!
My grandmother’s secret meatloaf ingredient RoTel brand diced tomatoes and green chiles. Mmm mmm, that’s good stuff!
Ohhh that does sound good Greg, thanks for that! I edited the original post asking for more meatloaf tips, hopefully we can get a good list going :).
I use lots of chopped mushrooms, any kind, as a filler. It makes a moist and tasty turkey meatloaf.
mmmmmm I love mushrooms and I never thought of using them as filler in meatloaf. Great tip Beverly, thanks!
I also save the “dregs” in salad dressing,mustard, steak sauce sauce etc. bottles, add a little water to bottle, shake real good to mix and add to meatloaf as part of the liquid.
georgia
I’ve found that cooking a meatloaf in a crock-pot doesn’t have to be a big, ugly mess! Take a few potatoes, cut them into thick strips, (think steak fries) put a layer in the bottom of the crock-pot and place your meatloaf on top. All the greasy fat is absorbed by the potatoes, leaving your meatloaf nice for cutting. Plus my dog loves the greasy potatoes! Or for quick cooking, I put the meatloaf mixture in muffin tins, and it cooks in half the time.
Great ideas sara & Georgia, thank you for sharing those!
I was going to say the same thing Sara said about the muffin tins…my kids love them that way. I usually make 2 separate batches, one for the adults who like it spicy (with jalpeños) and onions. And the other mild for the kiddos. I bake the kids batch like they are muffins, and they are the perfect portion for them. I had no idea anyone else did this, but Sara was right it does cook in half the time, but tastes just as good as the loaf! Thanks for all the ideas, believe it or not, meatloaf is a favorite in this family!
I to use muffin tins to make meatloaf , I then slice and use as lunch fillings in with salad in a bun/roll for school and work lunch, I all so use the very small muffin tins to make meat balls for home made spaghetti, I pack in containers and freeze
what a great idea Marlene, i love meatballs in my spaghetti but hate making them putting them in a mini muffin tin with an ice cream scope will make then uniform and i wont have to touch them…thank you oh so much
Wow! I guess I know what I’m making for dinner tonight :). It’s always a struggle to get my youngest to eat veggies so I grate up a carrot or two and mix it in. She doesn’t even realize she’s eating her “hated” carrots. I’ve heard that mixing meatloaf by hand is okay as long as you don’t compress it as it’s supposed to be sort of fluffy?
a few things to add to this already great list:
1. A meatloaf pan! It is a pan inside a pan and the top pan has holes in it so that the grease can drop into the other dish and keep it from getting greasy.
2. French’s fried onions on top. I layer them on to for the last 5 minutes of cooking and my family goes wild. I’ve even made meatloaf for company and they loved this addition.
3. I substitute ground turkey to make it a little leaner. Just up the seasonings and its fine.
We are vegetarians, but still love making fake-meatloaf with ground fake hamburger.
For “filler” I add wheat germ, along with italian seasoned bread crumbs and grated cheese – it adds a “nutty sweetness” and lots of nutrition.
I also encrust the outside of my meatloaf with very coarsely ground black pepper – adds a nice zing!!!
After mixing the ingredients, I form the meat into small loaves by hand and then set them in a cookie sheet (ones with sides) and bake. I love the crunchies and like the fact that the grease can be pushed away.
this is my husbands favorit
hambuger ( about 1 lb.)
one egg
handfull of rolled oats
onions (diced)
dry mustard about 1 teaspoon)
tablespoon of gound flax
pepper
put in loaf pans cover with ketchup and bake. if you liek a couple of slices of bacon is also nice.
I’m a meatloaf lover too! Those meatloaf cupcakes look awesome. I must give those a try! In fact, pretty much all of these recipes look tempting and you may have very well given our family 24 nights of meatloaf recipes. The 25th one is mine and I thank you very much for including my meatloaf recipe in your list of tempting meatloaf recipes. I’ll let you know how those meatloaf cupcakes turn out 🙂
Kathy Browning
The Cheap Gourmet
Oh I’m so glad you enjoy my Reuben Meatloaf recipe. It made me realize that I need to make it again soon!
You can add bead slices to the bottom of the loaf to suck up the grease just peel and toss when you’re ready.
Shapping into oval patties bake on a broil pan, when done surve with brown gravy and you have salisbury steak.
You can also add left over baby cereal as a filler.
TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein) soaked in a bit of beef broth to soften can be added to yuor beef and it really stretched the budget.
Hope this helps someone.
I hhave been looking for a “meatless” meatloaf. The only ingredients I remember is…
cottage cheese, cereal flakes, pecan meal. Believe it or not, it tastes just like real meatloaf made with ground beef. Has anyone seen this recipe??????
I use grated zucchini and carrots, W sauce, or sometimes a layer of spinach leaves when filling the pan. Ground turkey is a standby. Since my husband is a deer hunter, ground venison is also good made into meatloaf. Enjoy!
I like to use Morningstart Farm crumbles to make my meat-free meatloaf!
I got this recipe out of a newspaper years ago. It holds together very well, and lots of people like it. Here are the ingredients: 1.5 lb. ground beef, 1 envelope onion soup mix, 2 c. of raisin bran, 1/3 c. of ketchup, 2 eggs beaten. Combine.
I have been cooking it in one of those double meat loaf pans. Recently, on America’s Test Kitchen they advised molding the ground meat mixture into a loaf and cooking it on a cookie sheet, like a roast. This is now my preferred way of doing it.
The recipe I am looking for didn’t have any meat substitutes in it.
Thhanks anyway ashlee
Pizza meatloaf is a big hit with kids..use your favorite meatloaf recipe, put half the meat mixture in the pan, then layer pepperoni, pizza sauce, onions, mozzerella cheese, (any favorite pizza toppings)over it, then cover with the rest of meat mixture. Top with remaining pizza sauce and cheese, and bake as usual.
Skippy, Here’s a link to a meatless meat loaf recipe that sounds similar to the one you described – http://www.recipezaar.com/33921. I haven’t tried this one, but is sounds pretty darn good. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out 😉
Take a hint from Americas’s Test Kitchen and do’t put the meatlof in a pan. Instead mold it like a loaf and place on a cookie sheet. You will find that not only does it cooker faster but more evenly.
Thanks Cheap Gourmet, it was close but not the one. Guess I will have to keep searching.
Thanks for the Shout out!! I’m so flattered!! 🙂
I’ll be linking back to your site as well!
Happy Cooking!!
I don’t like the feel of cold, raw, ground meat between my fingers. So, when I make meatloaf I use the dough hook on my Kitchen-Aid mixer to incorporate all the ingredients. Now I love to make meatloaf. Be sure to use the dough hook though, because over working the the mixture will make it tough.
My mom used to do this and I’ve made it for my children hundreds of times.
Make the meatloaf as usual, whatever ingredients you’d like; then I make 2 or 3 hard boiled eggs, remove the shell, make a well deep enough in the meatloaf to place the eggs on their sides, length wise. Be sure to cover them with meat you’ve set on the sides to cover the eggs. Cook as usual. It’s a bit different and my kids love it.
I use thick cut onions on the bottom of a regular loaf pan for my meatloaf. The drippings fry the onions, the aroma and flavor travels up into the meatloaf and the texture of onions is completely missing! As another bonus, a half inch slice of onion rather than dicing an onion means way less onion-weeping, which is the real reason I do it this way. 😀
I actually bought a set of pans at Walmart a year or so ago…the top is slightly smaller and has holes in it, the bottom one is a larger loaf pan and all the grease drips down. It has been wonderful…and I can use both pans by themselves (the one with holes depends on what I’m cooking of course!). It’s awesome…and they are heavier pans, well worth the 10 dollars or so I spent on them.
Re: meatloaf sticking to the bottom – I had that problem too – line the pan with foil or wax paper. You can lift that out of the pan after baking, carefully peel it off, and discard – the pan should then be reasonably clean, too.
Gerda
I make my meatloaf in a black iron skillet with a little brown sugar mixed in with ketchup and spread on top for the last 20-30 minutes. YUM!!
My secret to complet mix together, mix all ingredients together, except the meat, then pour over meat and mix with hands, shape and into the black iron skillet into a preheated oven! VOILA double YUM!!
I would like to add that I have used Italian bread crumbs for years and served it with a tomato sauce topping. People usually rave over it. I think it is because of the seasonings in the bread crumbs. They make it tastier and provide a fuller flavor. I generally add about 1-1/2 cups of Italian bread crumbs per pound of ground beef. I then moisten it with eggs (2) and tomato sauce. I also add beef bouillion to the mixture to “beef” up the flavor. Generally no more than 2 cubes or a tablespoon of the powdered beef bouillion. I hope this makes your meat loaf tastier and your family happier!
I’ve tried lots of different ways with meatloaf, but the best one is just one egg, chopped onions, about a cup of Cheese-its(crushed), and salt and pepper to a pound of ground beef- 350degrees for an hour.
mixed my meatloaf(veal, ground beef, pork) with bread crumbs, eggs, onions and mushrooms. Made it today and want to know if I put in refrig uncooked will it be alright to cook tomorrow. Thanks, Carol
Yes, of course, as long as your meat is fresh and it is in the refrigerator it will be fine, uncooked or cooked, for a couple of days
We like to use a can of chopped green chilies in the mix, it keeps it super moist. The best meatloaf trick I ever learned though, was to fill the pan halfway up the sides of the meatloaf with water. It doesnt sound appealing, but the result is an incredible moist loaf (that doesn’t taste steamed), that holds together perfectly!
My Mother and Grandma always use the hard part of the bread when it had gone stale(sp). They said that is what makes it taste so great, and saves on waste. We then Add Garlic salts, some fresh chopped onion, Green Pepper, with a bit of Worchestershire sause, and top with Ketchup. Oh and The Hand mixing part is a must, at least that is what Ma and Granny say. It has worked wonderful for my family! My Two year old Loves it! Plus it is just plain fun to make!
My husband will eat only one meatloaf recipe, and the secret ingredient is just an envelope of ranch dressing mix.
Lightly combine one egg and 1/4 c. milk; add 1 1/2 lbs. of ground beef, 1/4 c. bread crumbs, one envelope dressing mix (and I always add black pepper and onion powder). Mix together; shape into mini meatloaves (I usually get 5-7 out of a batch) and place onto a baking sheet or jellyroll pan. Brush each loaf with a little Worcestershire sauce and bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 30-35 mins. It’ll be moist, flavorful and perfectly-portioned. Leftovers, if there are any, taste even better reheated in the microwave.
Put all of your ingredients (except the meat) in a bowl and mix them very well, then add your meat. This enables you to work the meat with a lot less contact.
I always use half ground sausage and half ground beef for my loaf! It’s sooo good – a must try! Also I put mustard, ketsup, A1, 1 eggs, oats, onions, green pepper, and one can mushrooms! My family loves it!
My dad used to put Combos in our meatloaf when we were kids. He used to work for M&M mars and had to find a way to get rid of those suckers. He didn’t crush them up, just plopped them in there whole.
If I am cooking a meatloaf and the power goes out, can the meatloaf be saved?
I have an old metal coffee can that was cut off from the bottom about 2-3 inches. I poked some holes in it and I have the perfect “rack” to sit in the bottom of my crock pot for grease drainage.
I like meatloaf with a brown gravy topping rather than the traditional ketchup.
5 lbs hamburger
2 eggs
can tomato sauce
about 5 crackers crumbled
salt and pepper
cook 350 for Hour in large pan no problem with sticking and drain excess grease and put Ketchup on top
Delicious..
I save the medium sized salad containers/lids from the deli. I then pack the raw meatloaf mixture into one container to shape it and then pop it out and place on a cookie sheet. I make four of them at a time. When the loaves are baked I put them back in the (clean) containers put on the lid and freeze. If you want real tasty meatloaf use half ground beef and half bulk sausage. Num.
Try using a can of Rotel in place of onions and peppers. I prefer to put in the blender but you can use it right out of the can, hot or mild dependig on your taste!! Then add about 1/2 cup uncooked rice in place of breadcrumbs, 2 raw eggs, 1 to 2 TBSP worchestershire, salt and pepper to taste, then mix with bare hands(my nanney says thats what makes it good) 2lbs lean ground beef at 375 for 11/2 hrs then cover top of cooked meatloaf with your choice of bbq sauce, back into oven on low broil until bbq sauce begins to bubble….let stand 10 min before slicing, then serve!!
This receipe came from a guy my husband works with and it is truly the BEST meatloaf ever!!!!
PS-IF you dont care about calories, add several slices of bacon before you add bbq sauce!! YUMMY!!