Despite its mundane reputation, a moist, well-seasoned meatloaf makes a delicious dinner that’s easy to make and always well received. Our old-fashioned recipe is simplicity at its best.
We use a combination of lean ground beef and ground pork to produce a moist, tender texture and add just a few simple ingredients to bring out the natural flavors of the meat.
Old-Fashioned Meatloaf
Always, moist and flavorful, our old-fashioned meatloaf recipe uses ground beef and pork flavored with onion, celery, and fresh parsley.
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef, 10% fat (see notes)
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2/3 cup unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoons All-Purpose Seasoning Blend, (or 1-1/2 teaspoons salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place the beef and pork in a large mixing bowl. Add the garlic, onion, celery and parsley, but don’t mix with the meat yet.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and milk together until blended. Add the breadcrumbs, seasoning blend, and pepper. Stir to combine.
- The mixture should blend easily and have a smooth consistency similar to a thick batter. If you feel it’s too pasty, add an extra tablespoon or two of milk.
- Add the egg mixture to the meat and combine gently with a wooden spoon or spatula. For best results, don’t overdo the mixing.
- Coat a 9-1/2 x 5-1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and add the meatloaf mixture, tamping it down gently and smoothing the top.
- You can bake your meatloaf in the pan if you like, but we prefer to just use the pan as a mold.
- Line a shallow baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and coat it with nonstick spray. Turn the meatloaf onto the pan and, using your hands, firm and smooth it into shape.
- Bake for 40 minutes, then remove the meatloaf from the oven to glaze the top.
- Combine the ketchup and Worcestershire in a small bowl and brush to cover both the top and sides.
- Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the glaze is set and the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 155°F. Allow to rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
We use a combination of lean ground beef and ground pork to produce a moist, tender texture for this meatloaf. You can use all ground beef but make sure it has at least 15% fat content to make up for the extra fat in the ground pork. The 10% lean would likely make a rather dry meatloaf on its own.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Old-Fashioned Meatloaf
Amount per Serving
Calories
364
% Daily Value*
Fat
20
g
31
%
Saturated Fat
8
g
50
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
10
g
Cholesterol
128
mg
43
%
Sodium
781
mg
34
%
Carbohydrates
10
g
3
%
Fiber
1
g
4
%
Sugar
3
g
3
%
Protein
33
g
66
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.
Susanne F says
Absolutely fabulous! This is the meatloaf I’ve always hoped for. Talk about a perfect comfort food. I substituted 1 1/2 tsp of Lawry’s Seasoned Salt for the all-purpose seasoning blend to save time. It turned out amazing!
Lynne Webb says
Hi Susanne,
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. I’m so glad to hear you liked this old-time family favorite.
Gary says
Good, but I leave out the milk and add 8 oz tomato sauce and about 1/8th cup (4 tbsp) of bourbon.
If I’m baking it with venison, as I often do, which is very lean, I will use about 15 oz tomato sauce. Never had an overly dry one yet.
Lynne Webb says
Hi Gary,
Your variations sound great. Thank you for sharing.
Anna says
The best meat loaf! My entire family loved it and devoured it. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Lynne Webb says
So glad you liked the meatloaf. Thanks for commenting.