# Making Meatloaf for the first time **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [June 2, 2021, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392 "2021-06-02T04:11:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/1 "2021-06-02T04:11:10Z")
As the title says. I’m a meatloaf making newbie. As such, I don’t really want to try some un-vouched for recipe off a website(doing that with other dishes has been hit or miss for me). So, please, can I have your recipe? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/2 "2021-06-02T10:01:30Z")
I’ve used the recipe on the Quaker Oats box most of my adult life. I like it’s simplicity and the Oats give a juicy meatloaf. I use tomato juice but you can sub tomato sauce. I love **meatloaf sandwiches**. We cook a meatloaf every two weeks. Have a regular meal and the leftover meatloaf gets sliced and put in freezer bags. I pull one out of the freezer and let defrost for an hour. Heat in a microwave dish and make hot sandwiches. I like mine with mayo, cheddar cheese, and lettuce on wheat bread. There’s several recipes on the Quaker web site. But this is the one I use and like. [https://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/prize-winning-meatloaf](https://www.quakeroats.com/cooking-and-recipes/prize-winning-meatloaf) ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/3 "2021-06-02T10:06:13Z")
I’ve made this one several times, so I’ll personally vouch for it for what that’s worth. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/u2zyboXTMqE/maxresdefault.jpg "Homemade Meatloaf Recipe - Laura Vitale - Laura in the Kitchen Episode 552") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2zyboXTMqE) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/4 "2021-06-02T10:09:29Z")
Btw, you can buy a meatloaf pan with a built-in rack. It allows the fat to drain and gives a healthier meatloaf. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/5 "2021-06-02T10:25:41Z")
If you’d rather have a meatloaf that tastes good don’t worry about the fat at all. When the meatloaf is done take it out of the oven, let it sit for 10 minutes and it will absorb all that fat. Now your meatloaf is moist and tasty. I won’t bother to mention there’s nothing healthier about draining all the flavor out of a meatloaf. Oops, I did mention it. Oh well. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/6 "2021-06-02T10:59:57Z")
I completely agree. Dry meatloaf is terrible. We get lean ground beef and get a tasty result. I mentioned the pan with a rack for people that have to cut fat in their diet. I have one but prefer using a standard loaf pan. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/7 "2021-06-02T12:28:28Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > I’ve made this one several times, so I’ll personally vouch for it for what that’s worth. That preview pic for the video looks really good. I have literally not eaten meatloaf since I was a kid, because I _ **hated** _ it as a kid when my mom made it. But I love meatballs, and meatloaf is really just a big meatball, right? I might try this recipe. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/8 "2021-06-02T12:32:14Z")
**Making Meatloaf for the first time** Isn’t that a chapter in one of Pamela Des Barres’ memoirs. ---
**Author:** ![janis\_and\_c0](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/janis_and_c0/32/21_2.png) [@janis\_and\_c0](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janis_and_c0)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/9 "2021-06-02T13:33:59Z")
I’ve posted this elsewhere… **Aunt Sissy’s Delightfully Different Meatloaf** In 2 lbs hamburger or turkey mix in: 1 whole onion & one whole green pepper, processed, or diced very fine. 2/3 C Parmesan cheese, 1 C Stove top stuffing, crushed or processed fine 1 egg, 2-3T French Dressing, salt, pepper, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, to taste. Glaze with honey mustard. Bake at 375 for 1 hour. ---
**Author:** ![dougrb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@dougrb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dougrb)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/10 "2021-06-02T15:48:51Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I have literally not eaten meatloaf since I was a kid, because I _ **hated** _ it as a kid when my mom made it. But I love meatballs, and meatloaf is really just a big meatball, right? Here’s a humorous take on that very attitude. > **[How To Make A Meatloaf That Doesn't Suck: A Guide For Unrefined Hedonists](https://deadspin.com/how-to-make-a-meatloaf-that-doesnt-suck-a-guide-for-u-5959430)** > > It seems fair to say that meatloaf does not enjoy the very best reputation among foodstuffs. You tend to think of it as something harried parents make, and when their kids ask what's for dinner and are told, they say, "Aw, meatloaf?" and then smother... ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/11 "2021-06-02T15:57:27Z")
> [@dougrb](#): > > Here’s a humorous take on that very attitude Great article! Yeah, the second paragraph perfectly captured my still-developing emotional arc toward how I feel about meatloaf. Good general recipe tips, too. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/12 "2021-06-02T17:40:20Z")
My comment is in **janis\_and\_c0’s** post. **diced very fine** Whatever ingredients that you use, onions, peppers, garlic, etc. take a little more time to really dice them up. You will end up with the flavors spread more evenly throughout rather than a chunk of onion here, a bit of pepper there. It takes a more time preparing the ingredients but it is worth it. Buying pre-chopped onions, etc. is easier but not better. Your opinions may vary, it’s just meatloaf! It is a traditional way to use up vegetables and bread you may have on hand by adding some ground meat and baking it. It is not a gourmet dish. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/13 "2021-06-02T17:50:44Z")
👀 I caught that, Mr. Fudd. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/14 "2021-06-02T17:51:33Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > take a little more time to really dice them up. You will end up with the flavors spread more evenly throughout rather than a chunk of onion here, a bit of pepper there. It also holds together better without big chunks of vegetables so you don’t need to add as much egg to hold it all together. > [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > Your opinions may vary, it’s just meatloaf! It is a traditional way to use up vegetables and bread you may have on hand by adding some ground meat and baking it. It is not a gourmet dish. The easiest way to wreck meatloaf is to get fancy with it. ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/15 "2021-06-02T17:57:51Z")
I don’t think I’ve ever followed a meat loaf recipe. 2 parts hamburger 1 part Italian sausage Between 5-10 eggs An onion Some Garlic Some peppers A little beef bouillon? Salt/Pepper Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs I top it at the end with a glaze made from ketchup, brown sugar and squirt of mustard. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/16 "2021-06-02T18:01:40Z")
I use the Lipton Onion Soup Mix recipe, with barbecue sauce substituted for ketchup, and with two rashers of bacon on the top. When I was in college cooking with a hotplate and a toaster oven I made tons of meatloaves. You need the meet, you need a binder like breadcrumbs or crackers or bread soaked in milk, you need a sauce inside for the flavor, you need some liquid like water. I lost the section of the ground beef cookbook I used then (back then ground beef was 68 cents a pound not on sale) or I’d give more. But if you internalize the components of a meatloaf, you can make a wide variety of good ones. My wife says that my meatloaves are better than her mothers. Her mother made them dry. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/17 "2021-06-02T18:10:06Z")
> [@sitchensis](#): > > Between 5-10 eggs That’s not meatloaf, it’s a baked omelet 😉 ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/18 "2021-06-02T18:35:29Z")
The whole point is to stretch the meat. I see recipes with 2 lbs of meat, 1 egg and 1 cup of bread crumbs. Each serving would have 1/8 of an egg and an ounce of bread crumbs. That’s just a hamburger. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/19 "2021-06-02T18:46:11Z")
This is how I do it - it’s my version of a Fanny Farmer meatloaf and it’s really good. I usually halve the recipe and make 12 meatloaf muffins. 2 cups fresh bread crumbs 1 onion chopped fine 2 eggs slightly beaten 2 lb ground beef 1.5 tsp tsp dry mustard 1.5 tsp salt - go a little light if you are using a very salty cheese 3/4 cup milk 1 cup grated cheese (I’ve had good luck with ementhaler, cheddar, and some kind of smoked cheese) Bacon - about 4 strips, optional Grease (or use Pam) tin. Mix everything except the bacon together lightly and place in tin - don’t pat it down, leave it kind of loose. Cut the bacon into pieces and lay on top. Bake at 350F for about 45-55 minutes, or until bacon looks cooked but not dry. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2021, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392/20 "2021-06-02T21:08:32Z")
This is popular in my family. I don’t measure, so I’ll do my best with approximations. 3 pounds ground beef 1 onion cut in pieces (not diced) 1 Tablespoon or so of butter 2 Eggs One or two sandwich rolls torn into pieces 1 teaspoon of salt (I am really unsure on this one) 1 teaspoon of pepper (see above) Ketchup in small batches (maybe up to about 3 cups) I put some butter in a frying pan and add a pinch of salt and the chopped onion. I cook that over medium heat for 8 minutes or so. Just until the onion starts to turn translucent. Put everything in a bowl and mix well. Add the ketchup as you mix to get the mixture to the right consistency. Shape into a loaf, pour a good layer of ketchup on top and bake at 350 for about an hour. It’s pretty basic, but people seem to like it. Even some kids. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-meatloaf-for-the-first-time/943392.md?page=2)