We've got your next comfort dinner covered with this easy mushroom meat loaf.
Matthew's Best Ever Meat Loaf Recipe photo by Taste of Home

Our Test Kitchen-approved mushroom meat loaf is the perfect recipe for a hearty and delicious dinner. In just a few short steps, you’ll have a gorgeous loaf in the oven. And if you’re lucky, you’ll even have some left over for tomorrow.

This meat loaf features a lot of traditional meat loaf ingredients, with its own special twist. You’ll start with a base of ground pork, ground beef, and portobello mushrooms, mixed with eggs and bread as binders. Instead of using a loaf pan to shape the loaf, you’ll free-form it before baking it.

Mushroom Meat Loaf Ingredients

  • Ground pork and beef: The mixture of ground pork and beef is particularly suited to longer-cooking dishes like meat loaf. And the pork adds a nice fattiness so the loaf doesn’t dry out as it cooks.
  • Portobello mushrooms: Even if you’re not a mushroom person, these portobellos add a meaty addition that enhances the loaf’s umami flavors.
  • Brown sugar: Brown sugar adds a sweetness that helps balance out the savory flavors. A little goes a long way!
  • Tomato paste: Tomato paste caramelizes as it cooks and imparts and robust flavor alongside the meat.

Directions

Step 1: Prep the ingredients

Adding some Liquids into Breads to make Mushroom BaseTMB Studio

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together the bread and stock. Let the mixture stand until the bread absorbs all the liquid.

Meanwhile, pulse the mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.

Finely Chopped Mushrooms, Onions, Carrots, Celery and Garlic in a Food ProcessorTMB Studio

Step 2: Combine the meat loaf mixture

Cooking Mushroom Vegetable Mixture in a PanTMB Studio

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the mushroom mixture, and cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is evaporated, five to six minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, and cook for one minute, stirring often. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.

Add the mushroom mixture, eggs, ground beef, ground pork, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper to the bread mixture. Mix thoroughly to combine everything.

Mixing Mushroom Mixture with Ground Beef and Ground Pork to make Mushroom Meat Loaf TMB Studio

Step 3: Mold and bake

Mushroom Meat Loaf on a Foil on a Rack in Oven TrayTMB Studio

Place a 12×7-inch piece of aluminum foil on a rack set inside a foil-lined rimmed baking pan. Transfer the meat loaf mixture to the foil, and shape it into a 10×6-inch loaf. Bake for one hour.

Meanwhile, make the glaze. Stir together the ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, and ground mustard in a bowl.

Pull the meat loaf from the oven, spread the glaze evenly over the loaf. Bake until a thermometer reads 160°, 15 to 25 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Topping Mushroom Meat Loaf with GlazeTMB Studio

Mushroom Meat Loaf Variations

  • Add bacon: Top your unbaked meat loaf with slices of bacon, which will add a richness only bacon can add! It will also crisp up nicely on top.
  • Go lighter: If you’re looking for something lighter, substitute ground turkey for one or both of the meats.
  • Get cheesy: Make your mushroom meat loaf ooey gooey by stuffing it with shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese.
  • Add savory tomatoes: For another added layer of flavor, add chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes to your loaf batter.

How to Freeze Mushroom Meat Loaf

This is a great dish to freeze. Shape the unbaked meat loaf on a plastic wrap-lined baking sheet. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and place it in the freezer until the loaf is completely firm. Once frozen, wrap the loaf securely in foil, and store it in the freezer for up to three months.

To cook from frozen, unwrap the loaf, and bake it as directed, increasing the initial bake time to two hours. Once you add the glaze, cook the loaf until the internal temperature reaches 165°.

Tips for Mushroom Meat Loaf

A Burger Made with Mushroom Meat LoafTMB Studio

How to you clean mushrooms for mushroom meat loaf?

Our pro tip is that it’s best not to wash mushrooms at all! If you see some dirt, you can simply use a damp towel to wipe it off.

What can you do with leftover mushroom meat loaf?

There’s so much you can do with leftover meat loaf. Crumble it over spaghetti with red sauce, or mix it up with potatoes and vegetables for a breakfast hash. Or slice it up, and enjoy a meatloaf sandwich on thick white bread! You can also stuff peppers or tomatoes with your leftover meat loaf mixed with some rice.

Watch how to Make Matthew’s Best Ever Meat Loaf

Mushroom Meat Loaf

This mushroom meat loaf is comfort food at its best. Mushrooms, beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire and soy sauce help boost the meaty flavor of this classic diner staple. —Matthew Hass, Ellison Bay, Wisconsin
Matthew's Best Ever Meat Loaf Recipe photo by Taste of Home
Total Time

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 1-1/4 hours + standing

Makes

8 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 slices white bread, torn into small pieces
  • 1/2 cup beef stock
  • 2 large portobello mushrooms (about 6 ounces), cut into chunks
  • 1 medium onion, cut into wedges
  • 1 medium carrot, cut into chunks
  • 1 celery rib, cut into chunks
  • 3 garlic cloves, halved
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1-1/4 pounds ground beef
  • 3/4 pound ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
  • 3/4 teaspoon pepper
  • GLAZE:
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine bread and stock; let stand until liquid is absorbed.
  2. Meanwhile, pulse mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add mushroom mixture; cook and stir until vegetables are tender and liquid is evaporated, 5-6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 minute longer. Cool slightly.
  3. Add next 7 ingredients and cooked vegetables to bread mixture; mix thoroughly. Place a 12x7-in. piece of foil on a rack in a foil-lined rimmed baking pan. Transfer meat mixture to the foil and shape into a 10x6-in. loaf.
  4. Bake 1 hour. Mix together glaze ingredients; spread over loaf. Bake until a thermometer reads 160°, about 15-25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Can you freeze Matthew's Best Ever Meat Loaf?

Shape meat loaf on a plastic wrap-lined baking sheet; wrap and freeze until firm. Remove from pan and wrap securely in foil; return to freezer. To use, unwrap meat loaf and bake as directed, increasing initial baking time to 2 hours. Mix together glaze ingredients; spread over loaf. Bake until a thermometer inserted in center reads 160°, 15-25 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 341 calories, 18g fat (6g saturated fat), 119mg cholesterol, 832mg sodium, 19g carbohydrate (11g sugars, 2g fiber), 25g protein.