# Meatloaf: Tomato sauce, or brown gravy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 14, 2020, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382 "2020-01-14T00:25:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/21 "2020-01-14T02:46:32Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > I used to put V-8 juice into my meatloaf back when Little Pianola had an egg allergy. It was an acceptable substitute. I’m not objecting to the idea of V-8 juice in meatloaf. But how does it qualify as a substitute for the eggs? The point of adding eggs to the mix is to bind the loaf together as it cooks. Juice is not going to do that; if anything it’s going to have the opposite effect. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/22 "2020-01-14T02:46:50Z")
Ketchup and sriracha. Oh, and we make the meatloaf with Vidalia onion dressing. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/23 "2020-01-14T03:34:49Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > My wife admits that I make a better meatloaf than her mother did. When we visited our daughter and her new baby over Christmas, I made three for her freezer. > > If you need either, your meatloaf must be deficient. I make mine with barbecue sauce mixed in, and some bacon on top while it is cooking for extra flavor and moistness. And it is nice and juicy without adding anything after. > > Brown gravy is good with mash potatoes and turkey of course, even chicken. Have nothing against it. But not needed for my meatloaf. Sure. A good meatloaf don’t need no sauce or gravy, just as a good French fry don’t need no ketchup. That said, it’s just so much “homier” for me when I get or make a meatloaf with mashed taters and peas and plenty of gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/24 "2020-01-14T04:04:00Z")
Try meatloaf with Spanish rice. It’s pretty good! ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/25 "2020-01-14T04:24:18Z")
> [@Kent\_Clark](#): > > Worcestershire sauce. Seriously. > [@terentii](#): > > Worcestershire sauce is an integral part of the loaf itself. If you ever ate my mother’s meatloaf, in which she used maybe one or two drops of Worcester during preparation, you know that more Worcester was necessary when the meal was served. I still add more, to this day. As for the ketchup/tomato sauce/gravy question, I really don’t care–I’ve had meatloaf with all of the above, and enjoyed it every time. Always with mashed potatoes. ---
**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:** [January 14, 2020, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/26 "2020-01-14T04:35:20Z")
Catsup. If you make it with gravy, you just basically made Salisbury steak haven’t you? ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/27 "2020-01-14T04:48:43Z")
Tomato sauce on good, honest meatloaf sounds to me like a pervo abomination. Guess I’ll have to try it before I die. Just before, probably. ---
**Author:** ![Chisquirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Chisquirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chisquirrel)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/28 "2020-01-14T06:10:11Z")
Uncultured heathens. A spicy barbecue sauce is the only acceptable choice. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/29 "2020-01-14T11:31:10Z")
My mom always made it with ketchup, but I’ve had it other ways and loved them all. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/30 "2020-01-14T13:06:25Z")
Given those two choices, gravy. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/31 "2020-01-14T13:26:03Z")
> [@Grrr](#): > > Catsup. > > If you make it with gravy, you just basically made Salisbury steak haven’t you? They’re essentially the same thing. It’s like asking what the difference between a roast and a steak is. Just how it’s cut and the method of cooking. Now, meatloaf can come with tomato sauce instead of brown gravy, so I guess that’s one difference, but they’re both variations on the same theme. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/32 "2020-01-14T14:14:50Z")
If I were going to do it with tomato sauce I would go all out and cover it with mozzarella cheese and make a full-blown marinara type sauce and slice some artichoke hearts or something. Use a recipe like [this one](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/474707616947857780/?lp=true) and substitute the meat loaf for the meatballs. Brown sauce is OK and closer to what I prefer. But most often I squirt a few shakes of Cholula or similar hot sauce and then pour some A-1 on it. It’s meat loaf. Let it be meat loaf. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/33 "2020-01-14T15:04:21Z")
Given my druthers, I’d take a ketchup-based sauce. But I’ll not turn down either. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/34 "2020-01-14T15:12:35Z")
A glaze of ketchup, cumin, honey, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Don’t judge me. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/35 "2020-01-14T16:04:13Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Given my druthers, I’d take a ketchup-based sauce. > > But I’ll not turn down either. Same here but if you add some mushrooms to the brown gravy, that might swing me over to the opposition. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/36 "2020-01-14T16:09:20Z")
> [@Chisquirrel](#): > > A spicy barbecue sauce is the only acceptable choice. BBQ sauce is a tomato sauce. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/37 "2020-01-14T16:09:41Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I like it with either tomato sauce or gravy. > > Don’t care for it plain, though. > > Two out of three ain’t bad. > mmm I grew up with tomato sauce but I can imagine some kind of worcestershire concoction might be okay. Maybe even a tacoesque sauce and served with yellow rice. But gravy? No, I won’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/38 "2020-01-14T16:18:29Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I like it with either tomato sauce or gravy. > > Don’t care for it plain, though. > > Two out of three ain’t bad. > mmm I grew up with tomato sauce but I can imagine some kind of worcestershire concoction might be okay. Maybe even a tacoesque sauce and served with yellow rice. But gravy? No, I won’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/39 "2020-01-14T16:19:39Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A glaze of ketchup, cumin, honey, Worcestershire and hot sauce. Don’t judge me. Recipe, please? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2020, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382/40 "2020-01-14T16:21:29Z")
I voted “tomato sauce” on the grounds that ketchup is a sauce made from tomatoes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meatloaf-tomato-sauce-or-brown-gravy/846382.md?page=3)