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    Home / Recipes / Beef

    Mom's Classic Meatloaf Recipe

    By Heather · Published: Mar 17, 2019 · Updated: Mar 22, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links · See the privacy policy linked in my footer.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Tender and juicy with a sweet ketchup glaze, this Classic Meatloaf recipe is what Sunday dinner dreams are made of! My Mom has been making this recipe for years, and we all agree it is the best meatloaf ever.

    Traditional Meatloaf with Worcestershire Sauce on a White Plate

    What Makes A Great Meatloaf?

    In my world, a great meatloaf is tender, super moist, full of flavor and not greasy. And my friends, that's exactly what this recipe is! If you're a meatloaf lover like me and have been searching high and low for the best recipe, YOU. CAN. STOP. NOW! Serve with some Super Creamy Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes or Better Than Costco Mac and Cheese, and you have one heck of a meal!

    Let's Talk About The Ingredients for Traditional Meatloaf

    This traditional American meatloaf recipe uses a lot of the same ingredients as most meatloaf recipes do, but the way you might use them could be different. Let's take a look!

    • Ground Beef My favorite ground beef to use for classic meatloaf is 80/20 (80% beef 20% fat). I find this to be a great ratio of fat as it's high enough to keep the meatloaf moist during the long cooking period, but not so fatty that it tastes greasy and unappealing. If you're feeling wild, substitute ⅓ of the ground beef with ground pork for an extra flavor boost. Pork is generally fattier than beef so you could use 90/10 beef if substituting pork and still have great results.
    • Eggs These work as the glue that holds the meat, crackers, onion, and spices together and creates a nice, spongy light texture.  Contrary to popular belief,  they DO NOT add moisture to the meatloaf so adding an extra one will not make your meatloaf any moister, though it might be super spongy. 🙂
    • Milk + Saltine Crackers The addition of crackers and milk in a meatloaf recipe, does two things: It binds the meat together and adds moisture, making the finished meatloaf tender and juicy. Crushed Saltine Crackers are my go-t0 whenever I need something like breadcrumbs to bind meatloaf, meatballs or even bread chicken tenders or fish. When used as a breading, saltines create a light, flavorful crust that can't be beat!
    • Onion When adding the onion into your meatloaf, it's important to make sure you chop your onions finely. Large pieces of onion mixed into a meatloaf mixture will make it difficult for the meatloaf to hold its shape. Finely chopped onions will mix better into the meat, creating better flavor and a prettier loaf.
    • Herbs I like to add two different herbs to my meatloaf: Sage and Dill. It might seem like an unlikely combination but stick with me here. The sage adds earthiness to the meatloaf while the dill adds a bit of brightness and that "hmmmmmm" factor. No one will be able to pin point the exact flavor, but it adds just enough to bring it a step up in overall tastiness. In fact, dill is one of my most-favorite herbs to add to beef recipes for this reason.
    • Ketchup No classic meatloaf recipe is complete without a ketchup glaze! My glaze recipe keeps it simple and uses only ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce.
    Sliced meatloaf on a white plate with ketchup glaze

    How to Make The Best Classic Meatloaf

    Mix the Meat

    When making meat mixtures like meatloaf, meatball, or burgers, it's important to not over-work or over-mix the meat. When ground meat is mixed too much, it turns it into a paste making it tough with an unpleasant texture. Just remember that it's meat and not bread dough and to mix it gently and only until all the ingredients are incorporated.

    Make A Panade

    A panade is traditionally a combination of stale bread and milk, soaked until it creates a sort of a paste. It's used in meatball and meatloaf recipes to keep them moist and act as glue. I talk more about it in this recipe. For this classic meatloaf, our panade is the combination of milk and saltine crackers. Before adding them to the meat, combine just the crackers and milk in a small bowl and allow them to soak and soften for a few minutes. Doing this keeps the crackers for soaking up moisture from the meat on contact, and makes a nice, homogonous meatloaf mixture void of big chunks of cracker.

    Form The Loaf

    I like to bake my meatloaf on a cookie sheet, as opposed to in a loaf pan. Doing this gives me control over how big I want my meatloaf to be and allows all the sides to brown and create flavor. It also gives the cooking juices a place to go instead of just bubbling up in the loaf pan, creating a greasy mess.

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and use your hands to form the loaf right on top. When it's the shape you'd like it, wet your hands a bit and rub them over the surface of the meat. This step gives the loaf a smooth surface and somewhat seals exterior.

    Classic Meatloaf before baking on a cookie sheet

    Make the Glaze

    Combine the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire Sauce in a small bowl. Put the glaze on the meatloaf in 2 phases once the meatloaf is about ½ way done cooking. Allowing the meatloaf to cook partway before putting the sauce on allows the meatloaf to brown slightly and the glaze to stick better to the cooked surface.

    Check for Doneness

    Meatloaf is done cooking when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a food thermometer and insert into the thickest, middle-most part of the meatloaf to check. This recipe makes a 1 ½ pound meatloaf, and I cook it at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.

    Baked Classic Meatloaf with Saltine Crackers and Worcestershire Sauce Glaze

    Let Rest

    Meatloaf needs to rest for about 10 minutes before cutting into and serving to allow the juices to redistribute inside.

    Can Classic Meatloaf be Frozen?

    Yes! It's best to freeze this meatloaf it after it's been cooked. Cook and slice the meatloaf and lay the slices on a baking sheet. Freeze the slices and store in an airtight container once frozen. Meatloaf slices will stay good for up to 2 months in the freezer. When you're ready to eat, thaw the slices and reheat or place frozen slices in a covered casserole dish and reheat in a 375-degree oven. Enjoy!

    If you make this recipe let me know in the comments below! I'd also love to hear about your favorite side dish for meatloaf, too!

    Mom's Classic Meatloaf Recipe

    It's an oldie, but a goodie-- Meatloaf! There's not a whole lot better than a tender and moist meatloaf and this is the PERFECT recipe in my book. 
    By Heather Cheney
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    For The Meatloaf

    • ¾ cup milk
    • ⅔ cup crushed saltine crackers
    • 2 large eggs
    • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
    • ½ teaspoon rubbed sage
    • 1 ½ pounds ground beef 80/20% fat
    • ½ cup onion finely chopped

    For the Sauce

    • 1 cup ketchup
    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
    • Combine the milk and crushed saltine crackers in a small bowl. Allow to soak for about 5 minutes or until the crackers are soft. Whisk in the egg, salt, sage, dill, and pepper. 
    • Place ground beef in a large bowl and add in onion and milk mixture. Gently mix until just combined.
    • Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil and shape meat into a loaf shape. Dip fingers in water and smooth out the cracks with your if needed.
    • Place in oven and bake for about 20 minutes. 
    • Combine ketchup, sugar and Worcestershire sauce and spoon half of it over the partially cooked loaf. Return to the oven. 
    • Cook for 5-7 minutes longer and spoon the remainder of the sauce over meatloaf. Continue to cook until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees-- about 10-15 additional for a total of 35-45 minutes total cooking time. 

    Nutrition Facts

    Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 487 kcal | Carbohydrates: 37 g | Protein: 24 g | Fat: 26 g | Saturated Fat: 10 g | Cholesterol: 153 mg | Sodium: 961 mg | Potassium: 562 mg | Sugar: 28 g | Vitamin A: 365 IU | Vitamin C: 2.6 mg | Calcium: 93 mg | Iron: 3.4 mg

    Nutrition and Food Safety Disclosure

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mike says

      May 31, 2021 at 8:23 pm

      2 stars
      Been baking for 1:30 so far. Followed portions to the letter. Liquid. Bubbling like soup. Increased heat to 400 in hopes this thing will finally firm up. I'll keep you posted.

      Reply
    2. Sally Clifford says

      April 30, 2021 at 5:03 pm

      4 stars
      Loved the flavor and clear directions. I have been making meatloaf for years. Good, bad and mediocre. I did follow this recipe closely I thought but it was a little too soft. Too much milk or not enough meat I think. I will definitely make it again with a little modification. Thanks

      Reply
    3. Sharon Eddy says

      March 25, 2021 at 5:18 pm

      This is an outstanding meatloaf. I will make it again.

      Reply
    4. Trace says

      January 31, 2021 at 11:40 am

      5 stars
      For months, my husband's been asking me to make meatloaf for dinner. Because I'm a VERY finicky eater, I've intentionally avoided his requests...until now. "Mom's Classic Meatloaf", touting a FIVE STAR rating, I was a little hesitant to make, due to the scarce number of ratings. However, rest assured and don't wait any longer to try this recipe! My husband absolutley LOVED everything about this meatloaf!!! The only modification I made, out of necessity, was onion powder in place of an onion and ground mustard seeds for the dill.

      Reply
    5. You Already Know 2813308004 says

      December 12, 2020 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      This was the wife's first go around with American style meatloaf, I impressed her with my from scratch skills. The recipe tasted exactly like I remember thank you so much for sharing.

      Reply
    6. Jonathan LaPointe says

      August 21, 2020 at 8:59 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely Delicious⭐️
      I had been craving a meatloaf dinner lately. My wife who is not a big meatloaf fan told me to go ahead and make one. Instead of going my usual recipe, I thought I’d take a look on Pinterest. I’m glad I did! I figured I’d do a search of “Old Fashion Meatloaf “. This was the first one that came up, for good reason. The best one is at the top!
      Very well written recipe! It has a few different ingredients and techniques that help to make it so good. Give it a try- I think you will agree!
      P.S. My wife absolutely loved it too!
      Thank you Heather ?

      Reply
    7. Sybil says

      June 26, 2020 at 12:51 pm

      5 stars
      I am 65 years old and my mom who is 88. She has always made a good meatloaf similar to this one so I had been making mine about the same. However, I found that the tips/explanations given in your recipe really elevated our meatloaf to superb! I've made it over and over again and everyone loves it! And yes, there has to be enough for leftovers! Thanks!

      Reply
    8. Sharon says

      June 14, 2020 at 3:47 pm

      I made this meatloaf, it was delicious. I used 2.25 lbs beef. I increased the measurements, but I feel I needed to increase even more. What would you suggest on 2.25 lbs! If I used 1 1/2lbs, there wouldn’t fe leftovers and the family would not be happy. If you would, please advise me on the measurements for 2 or more lbs of neat. Thank you

      Reply
      • Kay says

        March 23, 2021 at 10:19 am

        I made it recently using about 2.25-2.50 lbs of meat. I added extra of everything except left it at 2 eggs and it came out fine. I’d say I added an extra heaping 1/4 cup of saltines. Just under an extra 1/4 cup of milk. And a good bit of extra seasonings.

        Reply
    9. Ruth says

      June 12, 2020 at 7:19 pm

      I made this meatloaf but used 8 ounces Jimmy Dean sausage and 16 ounces 80/20 ground beef. Loved the glaze. Grandson doesn't like beef, but loved this meatloaf.

      Reply
      • LJones says

        August 14, 2020 at 4:28 pm

        5 stars
        I also use sausage in mine! Delish! Love the glaze

        Reply
    10. Angela says

      April 15, 2020 at 11:34 am

      5 stars
      I made this today and my husband and father loved it! Will be making this meatloaf again ❤

      Reply
    11. Deb Schams says

      December 25, 2019 at 11:19 am

      5 stars
      This is a great meatloaf recipe!! It has great flavor and it stays together nicely. I will definitely make it again!

      Reply
    12. Andy says

      June 27, 2019 at 3:54 pm

      5 stars
      Made it tonight., everyone wanted seconds. It’s on my keeper list.

      Reply
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