Easy Best Tasting Meatloaf Recipe

Last Updated on March 6, 2024

My favorite meatloaf recipe is something I thought up years ago and it has been the way I make meatloaf ever since. The ingredients are unusual but make a great tasting meatloaf.

I made this meatloaf when I was working early mornings at the Post Office and would get home at about noon everyday.  Mary Jo had banker’s hours, since she worked in a bank, and it was up to me to prepare the evening meal. 

For some reason I got crazy and put dijon mustard and taco sauce into the meatloaf mixture and then decided to add some richness by adding heavy cream. It was probably because I looked into the refrigerator and saw these three things and decided to use them.

Baking the Meatloaf Recipe

I’ve been using a loaf pan for making meatloaf since Mary Jo got these nice pans for baking bread.  Before these pans, I remember my mom making a loaf in a 9 by 13 baking pan, forming it by hand, and that’s the way I’ve always done it. Shorter baking time is required for an open loaf so the temperature should be checked with an instant read thermometer.

The bit of ketchup glaze applied about 10 minutes before you take the meatloaf out of the oven is optional, but does add some nice flavor.

It’s important to let the loaf rest for at least 15 minutes so that it slices real nice without crumbling.

If you’ve got young children who want to learn to cook, this meatloaf recipe is one to let them help with. They can get both hands in there and squeeze and blend, squeeze and blend to mix everything together. And you’ve probably heard about not working ground beef too much when making burgers, they’ll get tough.  Well I don’t think this applies to meatloaf.  Mix it as much as you’d like, then pack it well into a loaf to avoid air pockets.

A simple gravy can be made to go along with the meatloaf and the instructions explain how that is done.

Try this meatloaf recipe and let me know what you think.

My Favorite Meatloaf Recipe

Comforting meatloaf recipe made with some unusual ingredients.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: meatloaf recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 446kcal

Author: Joe Boyle

Ingredients

• 1 cup crushed saltine crackers 20 to 22 crackers
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons taco sauce
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 medium onion chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 lbs ground meat—beef beef & pork, or meatloaf mix (beef, pork, & veal)

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until fully incorporated.
• Pack the meat into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking oil, or form into a loaf and place it into an oiled, 9 by 13 baking dish.
• Place into the oven for 50 to 60 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.
• If desired, glaze the meatloaf with 1 or 2 tbsp of ketchup about 10 minutes before the loaf is done.
• Remove from the oven and let rest for 15 minutes before cutting to serve.
• To make a gravy, reserve any juices from the meatloaf. Add 3 tbsp butter to a skillet on medium, then add 3 tbsp all-purpose flour and whisk together for 1 minute. Slowly add 1 1/2 cups cold beef broth and whisk to prevent lumping. Add any meatloaf juices and stir in. Cook for several minutes to thicken if necessary.

Nutrition

Calories: 446kcal