But Desperation is a Stinky Cologne.
Just because the cat has her kittens in the oven doesn’t make them biscuits.
I don’t think I’ve ever made meatloaf with either one but a ketchup based sauce is what I’d expect as default. I smoke meatloaf and roughly follow the Ol’ Man Jim’s recipe and use the tangy mustard/vinegar/sugar glaze recipe:
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about a liver-y meatloaf with gravy since reading this a few days ago. Do you have a particular recipe to share?
Like you, I’m obviously a mutant with regards to meatloaf. I also glaze. Chili sauce (which is nearly ketchup and ketchup can be substituted for the chili sauce), cane vinegar, dark brown sugar, hot sauce.
I also only cook meatloaf free-form on a rack to allow the grease to escape. I cook at high temp to brown the outside, then glaze to caramelize the glaze, with some reserved for serving.
Come mid-spring through early fall, like jnglmassiv, I’ll smoke my meatloaf at moderate temperature. Less browning before glazing, but nice smokiness.
+1 for the mashed potatoes which is why I voted for brown gravy.
See, we always had potatoes au gratin with meatloaf. No need for gravy.
Wasn’t that a “Polish Proverb” from Banacek? 
Query: for those favouring a brown gravy option, how do you make it? I don’t like «gravy» out of a pouch, add water, etc.
See Post #71.
Missed that, thanks, but wouldn’t work for my recipe - it’s a baked meat loaf, no pan frying.
I’ve long been in the habit of keeping excess beef drippings in the freezer. When I make brown gravy for meat loaf, I generally pour off whatever drippings accumulated during the baking of the meat loaf, then add some extra drippings from the freezer if there isn’t enough fat.
Make a roux with flour and seasonings. Add beef broth, maybe some leftover wine. (Yeah, right! Open a new bottle!)
Bob’s yer uncle. Gravy for the mashed potatoes that go alongside the meat loaf. 
ETA: Northern Piper, I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned how much I adore your tagline. Love it.
Make a roux; add some beef broth/stock, a bit of soy/Worcestershire/Kitchen Bouquet/Better Than Bouillon for color and additional umami, and that’s it. I also like adding just plain ol’ beef bouillon powder. If you can get some browned bits from the loaf pan, add that, too. But you don’t have to overthink this. Just broth + thickener essentially.
I think it’s a Mary Cooperism.
burpo’s the winner.
My parents make meatloaf in the pressure cooker. Ground beef, saltines, onions, egg. It’s basically gray when it’s cooked. My mom adds ketchup and my dad uses French’s yellow mustard.
My recipe is from Cook’s Illustrated and cooked in the oven, wrapped in bacon, with a ketchup and brown sugar sauce. There’s a bit of dijon mustard mixed in with the meat, as well as Worchestershire sauce.
hey you can split the difference like banquet does in its meatloaf tv dinner/ pack … just color your tomato-based sauce brown … hungry man does the same tho i perfer it with bbq sauce … but then ill put bbq sauce on anything
Brown gravy over tomato sauce, I guess, but I’m more likely to just give it a good dose of ketchup.
Don’t you judge me!
Yes. There should have been a choice for neither. But I’ll go one further and say that if the meatloaf is deficient, slathering stuff on top not only won’t help it any, it will likely make it even worse.
ETA: Not sure why it double posted.