Classic Homestyle Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a classic American dish that’s usually made with ground beef. It’s one of those iconic comfort food dinners you can make in a million different ways. 

It’s typically served with sides like mashed potatoes, green beans, and dinner rolls and topped with a sauce. That sauce, in most American households, is classic tomato ketchup.

While classic meatloaf is usually made with beef, versions of this dish are made worldwide, featuring everything from ground pork to lamb to venison. However, we’re focusing on the best version of the classic American meatloaf today.

Here’s what you need to know before making meatloaf at home.

How Is Meatloaf Made?

Meatloaf is made by taking a loaf pan and combining ground meat with ingredients like bread crumbs, egg, and more in the pan. These ingredients are baked together in the loaf pan at around 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Our meatloaf recipe adds Worcestershire sauce, milk, and ketchup into the mix to increase the flavor and richness of the dish. The meat mixture is ground beef, which we’ve found pairs the best with the other ingredients featured in a classic meatloaf recipe.

What Do You Need To Make Meatloaf?

If you’re making meatloaf at home, you’ll need an oven, a large mixing bowl, a mixing spoon, a loaf pan, a meat thermometer, and your meatloaf ingredients. In addition, plan to have a little over an hour of total time set aside to make the main dish and extra time if you plan on making sides using other delicious recipes.

What Is the Best Meat for Meatloaf?

In general, ground beef is always a safe bet if you’re looking for the best meatloaf recipe. Versions of the classic meatloaf recipe that change the type of meat used are everywhere, but we have yet to find one that can compete with relatively lean ground beef.

Fat content is one of the most important considerations when choosing meat for meatloaf. Traditional meatloaf is supposed to be moist and juicy, which is only achievable with relatively fatty meat. Using high-fat meat isn’t always the right choice when cooking, but fattier ground beef is better than an ultra-lean option if you want moist meatloaf.

If you’re making meatloaf or meatballs, we recommend 70/30 or 80/20 ground beef. You can tell what the fat content in your ground beef is based on the package’s nutrition information, which also lets you know how much protein, carbohydrates, and other nutrients are in your beef.

Is Meatloaf Good for You?

We’ll be real with you: meatloaf isn’t the healthiest dish on the planet. However, it’s far from the unhealthiest, either. 

Meatloaf contains nutrients like potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin A, which are all important for your health. In addition, ground beef is an excellent source of protein and bone-building calcium.

However, meatloaf isn’t something you’d want to eat every day for every meal — but we shouldn’t have to tell you that. Eating too much fatty meat can cause problems with cholesterol. 

In addition, the total kcal count for a serving of meatloaf is relatively high due to the inclusion of high-fat ingredients. Eating too many calories can make maintaining a healthy weight hard.

So, what’s the bottom line? Ultimately, a homemade meatloaf recipe will get you a dinner that falls in the “neutral” category in terms of nutrition. As a result, it's best not to think of meatloaf as something you should always eat. 

Consider it a treat that offers a decent amount of nutritional value but shouldn’t be your one go-to weeknight meal.

What Can You Serve With Meatloaf?

An easy meatloaf recipe like ours takes just a little over an hour to complete from start to finish. That means you can easily make some time to craft some mouthwatering sides to go along with the main dish.

As far as sides for meatloaf go, we vote that you stick with the classics. Mashed potatoes, green beans, corn on the cob, macaroni and cheese, cooked carrots, and toasted garlic bread are all ideal sides to pair with your meatloaf.

How Long Should You Cook Meatloaf?

Meatloaf takes about an hour to reach its best internal temperature. To avoid any guesswork, make sure to use a meat thermometer and follow the recommended cook time in this recipe. The meatloaf’s temperature should be at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to be safe to eat.

On the other hand, you definitely don’t want to overcook your meatloaf, as too much time in the oven can make the final product dry and crumbly. The goal is moist meatloaf, so keeping the total cook time just right is an absolute must. 

You might be tempted to set the oven up, throw the meatloaf in, and walk away for an hour and a half, but we recommend staying actively involved in the baking process from start to finish.

How Long Does Meatloaf Last?

Leftover meatloaf is just as much of an iconic American meal as meatloaf fresh out of the oven is. 

If you end up with meatloaf left over after your initial meal, we recommend storing the remainder of the dish in the refrigerator in an airtight container or a small bowl covered in aluminum foil. You can use your leftovers to make the classic meatloaf sandwich or eat it with eggs for breakfast.

Here’s the big question: how long does leftover meatloaf last after you put it in the refrigerator? The answer is typically three to four days. If you want to extend the dish’s lifespan, we recommend putting it in the freezer in an airtight container — a plate or bowl covered in plastic wrap works fine.

How Do You Reheat Meatloaf?

In our humble opinion, the best way to reheat meatloaf is using the oven or stovetop instead of the microwave. 

Leftover meatloaf just doesn’t seem to do too well in the microwave, often heating unevenly and tasting not quite right. Heating your meatloaf in a pan or on a baking sheet in the oven can return it to its former glory, even after a few days in the refrigerator.

When reheating your meatloaf, preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Once it reaches temperature, place the leftover slices of meatloaf in a dish and add some broth to keep the slices from drying out. Cover the dish and heat it in the oven for about 20 minutes.

Can You Make Vegetarian Meatloaf?

Since the word meat is in the dish's name, we think we can assume you know that meatloaf isn’t vegetarian by design. However, our plant-based friends can definitely put their own spin on this American comfort food by making it out of a plant alternative.

Some of the best ways to make a veggie-based meatloaf include using ingredients like nuts and mushrooms ground in a food processor as the base or opting for a meat substitute. 

We’re fans of the DIY food processor route as opposed to meat substitutes. When turning a typically meat-based dish into vegetarian fare, we find it’s often better to get creative and use whole foods with unique flavors to make something entirely new.

In addition, if you don’t eat red meat but are okay with poultry, turkey meatloaf is always a good option. Make sure to use ground turkey with a decently high amount of fat, as the fattiness helps the meatloaf retain its moisture and flavor.