Traditional Meat Loaf

Name: Traditional Meat Loaf
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Ingredients: 3 slices bread; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 2/3 cup 2% milk; 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese; 1 medium onion, finely chopped; 1/2 cup finely shredded carrot; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 1-1/2 pounds ground beef; GLAZE:; 1/4 cup packed brown sugar; 1/4 cup ketchup; 1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Topped with a sweet sauce, this meat loaf tastes so good that you might want to double the recipe so everyone can have seconds. It also freezes well. —Gail Graham, Maple Ridge, British Columbia

Ingredients

3 slices bread
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2/3 cup 2% milk
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup finely shredded carrot
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
GLAZE:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Tear bread into 2-inch pieces; place in a blender. Cover and pulse to form coarse crumbs; transfer to a large bowl. Stir in egg, milk, cheese, onion, carrot, salt and pepper. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly. Transfer to a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan.
In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients; spread over loaf. Bake 60-75 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Freeze option: Bake meat loaf without glaze. Securely wrap cooled meat loaf in plastic wrap and foil, then freeze. To use, partially thaw meat loaf in refrigerator overnight. Prepare and spread glaze over top; reheat on a greased shallow baking pan in a preheated 350° oven until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°.

Nutrition Facts

1 slice: 394 calories, 21g fat (10g saturated fat), 128mg cholesterol, 843mg sodium, 23g carbohydrate (15g sugars, 1g fiber), 28g protein.

Originally published as Best Ever Meat Loaf in Taste of Home June/July 2006

Reviews

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Average Rating:

Racecar7a

Jun 19, 2018

This was a little runny to put into the pan. I would add a few more crackers so the meat had some consistency. The flavor is very good. Glaze is a little sweet. I will make it again.
Robert

Apr 12, 2018

Made this and turned out vary delecious.
DuckyD

Jan 22, 2018

Best meatloaf ever! My son and I agree.
lbsfromNC

Jan 15, 2018

Very good! My husband loved it.
Jennifer

Jan 8, 2018

Good recipe! The meatloaf was full of flavor. My family loved it. I used plain Panko bread crumbs though! So good. WIll be making this again
Nana9a

Feb 11, 2017

Good recipe but my family didn't care for the glaze. I'll skip that next time. Too tangy.
vewebber58

Feb 10, 2017

This is a terrific meatloaf recipe and I make it even better by cutting two slices of bacon in half and putting them across the top of the loaf. I put a little of the sauce on before adding the bacon because there is fat to drain off, (and some of the sauce is in the drainage), which I do after the meatloaf has baked for one hour. Then I spread on the rest of the sauce and bake for another 15 minutes. The smoky taste of the bacon - I use thick sliced - gives it wonderful flavor. Makes delicious sandwiches the next day! Adding bacon on the top of other meatloaf recipes makes them even better as well. I use at least 90% lean ground beef.
SharonKayG

Jan 31, 2017

I love meatloaf... but carrots, can you taste them and what does it add to the recipe, I never have used them before in meatloaf.
cbacon1111

Jan 30, 2017

Yummy. Made recipe exactly as written. Served tonight with mashed potatoes and broccoli steamed Alderney.
ohhhmeohhhmy

Jan 1, 2017

Excellent recipe that everyone loved. The only things I did different were to use store bought bread crumbs, halfway through cooking I drained the fat and sliced it, and then I put the glaze on top for the last half of baking.