Create a wonderfully moist and tender meatloaf with this simple recipe. By combining ground meat with a blend of fresh vegetables, you get a family-friendly dinner that’s packed with flavor. With just 20 minutes of prep and 40 minutes of baking, this will become your go-to meal.
What You Will Need:
- Meatloaf recipe
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 3 pieces of bread
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 8 baby carrots
- 1 large stalk of celery
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper
- Topping
- 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard
- ¼ cup of ketchup
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Building a Strong Meatloaf Base: Bread and Veggies
This is very easy! The bread goes in the food processor first. Make bread crumbs out of the three slices of bread with the food processor. You can use whatever bread you choose. Place the bread crumbs in a large bowl and then move on to the veggies. I have substituted and added other veggies in the recipe. I have added bell peppers and mushrooms to the recipe as it is, and we all loved it. After the veggies are processed to a small dice, place them in the bowl with the bread crumbs.
The Secret to Moist Meatloaf: Choosing Your Meat
We normally use beef in this recipe but you can use a meatloaf mix. A meatloaf mix is pork, beef, and veal. Also you can use turkey too. The veggies add enough moistness to keep the turkey from becoming too dry. Sometimes a turkey meatloaf can turn out super dry! You can mix it up however you like! Make it your own!
How to Form the Loaf and Make the Tangy Glaze
I form the meatloaf pretty flat. This way everyone can get some of the topping because it spreads over the whole top of the meatloaf. The topping is just yellow mustard, ketchup, and brown sugar. The brown sugar caramelizes as the meatloaf cooks. The mix of sweet and savory is wonderful!
Make-Ahead Meatloaf: Prep Now, Bake Later!
You can form the meatloaf, cover it, and place it in the fridge until you need to bake it. I usually make it up to 4-5 hours ahead of time. I have not kept it in the fridge any longer than that uncooked. Be sure to keep the topping separate and spread it on when you are ready to bake the meatloaf.
When You Are Ready To Bake
When your meatloaf mixture is ready, form it in the shape of a long, wide, and flat, loaf on top of a parchment lined baking sheet. The meatloaf pictured above is about 2 inches high. I needed this one to cook quicker. I usually make it from about 2-3 inches high. Make sure to bring the edges up a bit so that the topping does not run off (don’t put the topping on yet).
Chill the formed meatloaf for about 30 minutes before baking. Bake the meatloaf at 375 degrees F for 40 Minutes. After 20 minutes, add the topping. Bake for the remaining 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted reads 165 degrees F. And the topping is caramelized!
Try our favorite meatloaf recipe with the Pommes Anna recipe!
Yes! While beef is traditional, you can use a mix of pork, beef, and veal—or even turkey. Just note that turkey is leaner, so the veggies help keep it moist.
Onions, carrots, celery, bell peppers, and mushrooms all work great. You can customize the mix based on what your family enjoys.
A food processor makes it quicker to chop the bread and veggies, but you can finely chop them by hand if needed.
Shaping it flatter allows for more even topping coverage, so everyone gets a bite with the caramelized glaze.
The simple and delicious topping is a mix of ketchup, yellow mustard, and brown sugar—it adds a perfect sweet and tangy finish.
Yes, you can prepare the meatloaf mixture in advance and refrigerate it. Just add the topping before baking.
Including vegetables and not overbaking are key. For leaner meats like turkey, the added moisture from the veggies is especially helpful. Also, the topping helps.
Any bread will work—white, whole wheat, or even leftover rolls. The food processor helps turn them into fine crumbs easily.
Leftover meatloaf can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat, you can warm slices in the microwave, in a skillet over medium-low heat, or in a 350°F oven until heated through.
Yes, this meatloaf freezes well. You can freeze it baked or unbaked. For an unbaked loaf, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before baking as directed.
This is just one of the great dinners I have on my site. Click here to try out some more!
Easy and Moist Homemade Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of ground beef
- 3 pieces of bread
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 8 baby carrots
- 1 large stalk of celery
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon each of sea salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons of yellow mustard
- ¼ cup of ketchup
- 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
Method
- Place bread into a food processor and blend into bread crumbs. Place bread crumbs into a large bowl and set aside.
- Next, place onion, carrots, celery, and garlic into a food processor and process until finely diced.
- Place vegetable mixture into a bowl with bread crumbs.
- Next add ground beef, egg, and salt and pepper to the bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Let the mixture set in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.
- Place the mixture on top of a parchment covered baking sheet and form into a loaf. See the writeup above for instructions for forming the mixture.
- Place in oven and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees F
- After 20 minutes place the topping on top of the meatloaf.
- Bake for an additional 20 minutes or until thermometer reads 165 degrees F
I have never been a fan of meatloaf, probably because I have never had any GOOD meatloaf before. I decided to try out this recipe in hopes that I could change my mind, and I did. This meatloaf was the best I’ve ever had!! The carrots make it sweet, and the ketchup/mustard topping was great! I think next time I’ll add some paprika in too!! 🙂 Thank You Cleveland Cooking for turning me on to good meatloaf
Thank you so much for giving it a try! Your comment made my day!