Did you add eggs? I think the eggs and bread/crumbs are what form the binder to hold it all together. I make meatloaf all the time, sometimes in a loaf pan and sometimes freeform, and I never have a problem.

My basic recipe is my mom's:
1# meat
1 egg
1 t Worchesteshire
big squirt ketchup
sliced bread broken in piece to loosely fill 1-cup Pyrex cup, add milk to soak (squeeze some of milk out before adding to meat)
1 finely chopped onion
1/4 cup parsley,
salt and pepper

That's it! Mix and cook at 350 ~ 1 hour.

I often modify this and make it fancier with various sauteed veggies like carrots, etc and fresh herbs, but that's essentially it.

If you're making a lot more like you seem to be, I might bake it in separate pans or 2-3 freeform loafs...

You can check the internal temp with a meat thermometer without having to cut into the loaf to find if it's still pink. Cooks Illustrated has a nice recipe, and suggests that it's done at 160 degrees. If you don't want to sign up become a member of their site, you can find the recipe and some explanation of their ingredients and techniques via the CBS article linked below. Good luck with your cooking!

Here is a link that might be useful: Cooks Illustrated meatloaf

The key is DON'T cook it in a loaf pan. Form it into a loaf shape on a cookie sheet. I also usually out some kind of glaze on it (mad with some variation of ketchup, brown sugar, spices, etc.

I just made a new meatloaf recipe from Cooking Light last night...made mini loaves and cooked for 25min at 425. Delicious!

I form mine in the loaf pan and then flip it out onto a silpat lined baking pan with low sides. This gives it a uniform shape and even cooking.

Wow, thanks everyone! So many responses in such a short time. I should have asked BEFORE we cooked and microwaved it!

I don't know if eggs were added or not, I'll have to ask him.

staceyneil your recipe sounds just like the one I think my mom used. We'll have to try that.

I didn't even know you could cook it not in a loaf pan! Or mini loaves. This is the ONLY thing we even try to cook and we don't get too fancy with it, lol.

I'm book marking all of this and we will hopefully have greater success the next time we try to make it so it will actually be cooked :)

No matter what the recipe - I think you'd have better more even results with half the meat - we use about 1.25 pounds (if you need that much meatloaf - make 2 smaller ones instead of one huge one). Robyn

I am going to make meatloaf tonight! I will use about 3 lbs of 90% beef. No veal or pork with this recipe. Not necessary and too expensive.

I use 1 egg, for every pound of beef, of which I hand beat with a fork in a separate bowl with about 1/4 c. milk, 1/2 + c. of ketchup, and 1/4 c. mustard. Then I add the either chopped onion or a pack of Lipton Onion Soup and 6 slices of cubed, day old bread. I also plop in some Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce. If mixture is too dry, add a little ketchup and mustard to some more milk and use as needed, but not just milk. I hand mix the mixture into all of the meat thoroughly, then divide mixture in half of and mold into a mound loaf about 4" high and place both halves, not touching into a 1 1/2" deep baking dish. I then pour ketchup all over the tops of the loaves and coat the sides with my fingers. Salk and pepper the top. Then cook on 350 F until done... which will be near 1 1/2 hours.

The only time I ever peel and boil potatoes is when I make meatloaf. I peel, cut into 3/4" cubes, covering potatoes w/ water and gently salt. Boil until firmly done. Add self-rising flour into a 1/2 cup of milk and mix a soupy paste and slowly add to potatoes and the water you boiled them in to make a creamy sauce stirring gently. Do not let it burn. I make Le-sure peas and mushrooms as a side, along with home-made biscuits made from scratch. Let your loaf stand for 15 minutes before cutting or it will crumble.

Robyn- I'm not sure why he made that much meatloaf or used that much. Only 2 of us are eating it...

Sherilynn, can I come over for dinner tonight? Those potatoes sound delicious!!! And homemade biscuits!! Yummmmmy!!!!!!

almost 3 lbs of meat for 2 people is more then twice too much. Drop down to about pound and 1/4. Add as people suggested above... an hour should do it but check with thermometer.

Best ever:

Gr. beef, anywhere from 1 to 1-1/2 pounds
Med onion, chopped
(opt.) 1/2 bell pepper, chopped
8 oz can tomato sauce
1 egg
3/4 - 1 c. oatmeal (the rolled kind)
1 tsp. salt
about 1-1/2 tsp. oregano/mixed italian herbs

Scrunch it altogether and place in loaf pan. Bake at 425 for one hour along with Russet baking potatoes. If you're not cooking the potatoes too, it can probably be turned down to 375.

If you forget the egg, yes, it will fall apart. I find oatmeal gives a better flavor than other extenders.

Best topping: "Homemade Chili Sauce" Honestly, that's its name. It comes in glass jar (sort of a round-y pot shape) and, despite the name, is not hot at all, more like much improved ketchup. I have a hard time finding it at the store, so when I do, I buy 6 at a time.

Stacyneil's mom's recipe is fairly similar to the ancient Better Homes and Gardens one I kept coming back to after trying one haute recipe with various mixtures of meats, glazes, etc. after another. My husband finally forbade me :) to make anything else. For flavor and moisture get ground chuck, sirloin fine too, but with lots of fat (NOT lean) and bake it on a little rack over a rimmed sheet so the fat can run off.

I can attest to the great recipe from Cook's Illustrated. It's been my 'go-to' recipe for years, now. I even use it for my meatballs. It's the perfect balance of everything. When I make meatloaf, I cook a lot...3 large loaves or 2 jelly roll pan's worth of meatballs. (I use a 1/4 measuring cup to form them - so easy, no frying!) I just rotate the pans from top to bottom after they've cooked for about 20 minutes. Great for fast meals...I just store in several Ziploc bags for the freezer.

Thanks so much everyone for these great suggestions. I am copying all this into my email and we will try them all. I suppose if we are only ever going to cook one thing, we should try a bunch of recipes and make sure we find one that is actually right :) And now we have lots of choices!

I make my mother in law's meatloaf and it is great! Here's what I use:
one pound of ground beef
chopped onion, sauteed
sliced mushrooms, sauteed
a bunch of chopped green olives and chopped walnuts
a couple cloves of chopped garlic
one egg
worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper
Mix it all together and crunch in some corn flakes cereal to get it the right consistency
I spread ketchup all over the top and cover it with shredded cheddar cheese
I bake it for about 1 hour at 350.

If it is always pink in the middle, then lower the heat and cook it longer.
I like variety, so while the recipe with Lipton's onion soup mix is a family fave, I have also done the basic recipe and added taco seasoning and salsa or italian herbs and grated cheese (like a huge meatball). I sometimes toss in whatever I have on hand and freelance it, but I guess that does not help. By reading the different ones above, you can see there is no one way or right way.
I agree about skipping the actual loaf pan and usually making smaller sizes (but a large amount for freezing leftovers). I figure if I am going through the hassle of working with raw chopped meat and the cleanup involved, I might as well make it a super batch and have it easy on another night or 2.

Yup, I am seeing that everyone has their own meat loaf recipes they love. It's great that there are so many out there and that everyone is so excited to share them :) We should do a recipe day here every weekend and everyone should post a favorite :)

Taco sauce and the italian herbs thing sound great too!

I am always hesitant to have us experiment too much b/c of the lack of cooking ability. My mom was such a great cook, no one else ever cooked anything or ever paid attention or learned how. There are so many recipes we wish we had now!

This is my favorite meatloaf recipe. Of course I modify it to my liking. I use oatmeal instead of breadcrumbs and ground turkey in my meatloaf. I make mine in muffin pans so you have it portioned out for you before you begin eating.

Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: Cajun meatloaf

My mom always used the Betty Crocker meatloaf recipe, but my family found it rather bland so I modified it. Here's the recipe I use:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2 lbs. ground beef (or 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, 1/4 lb. lean ground pork, and 1/4 lb. ground veal)
1 c. Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 c. V-8 or tomato juice
1/4 c. parmesan cheese (either freshly grated or Kraft parmesan cheese)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/4 tsp. garlic salt (I use Lawry's Garlic Salt)
1 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. celery salt and dry mustard
1 tsp. sage
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Spray loaf pan. Spread in loaf pan and shape. Sprinkle top generously with parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 1/2 hrs. or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees. Remove from oven and suction grease (this needs to be done right away or the grease will be reabsorbed when the meatloaf rests). Let meatloaf rest for 15 minutes.

I want to try making a Mexican meatloaf with taco seasoning, picante sauce, and green chiles, but my family likes this one so much they've begged me not to change it! One of these days, I'm going to give it a try and surprise them. ;)

More yummy ones :) We're going to be trying new meatloafs every month for the next year :)

This is making me wonder if there is something wrong with me. I am a pretty serious cook, but I have never in my life made a meatloaf! I guess because I have horrible childhood meatloaf memories, it never occurred to me to make it as an adult. Maybe I need to give it a try!

Just read the comment on 3 lbs. of meat being too much for one person. If they read my recipe, I make TWO loaves out of that meat. One loaf is fine for 4~5 people depending on what they eat. The other loaf, I either freeze or we use it for meatloaf sandwiches the next day. Cold meatloaf and Kraft Mayonnaise is delicious.

Well worldmom, you have pages of choices here to try :) We're going to work our way down from the top of the list I think :)

Oh man, you guys just wait. I've just shot an email off to my wife for her recipe... It's the bomb-diggety

Here's what she said; I didn't realize this was so easy...
"I don't really have a recipe. 1.5 lb ground meat [we use turkey]. I use corn bread crumbs. Knorrs veg soup mix. 1 egg. And some sauce of your choice. Bake at 350 for about 1 hour."

She has one of those Pampered Chef loaf pans, but I don't know as it matters.

worldmom,
If you want a divine meatloaf recipe, check this one out. I have been making various meatloafs for years, and this one is just absolutely the BEST. It's more labor intensive than my mom's that I posted above, but every time I have made it it gets raves from guests.... This one is from Gourmet magazine, via Epicurious. It is the BEST. MEATLOAF. EVER. I think it's the bacon and the spices -or the prunes. Weird, I know, but so delicious! You don't have to tell anyone they're in there :)

My Favorite (fancier) Meatloaf
Gourmet : February 2008
yield: Makes 6 servings with leftovers

Ingredients

* 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices firm white sandwich bread) (I use whole wheat or whole grain sandwich bread all the time to no ill effect!)
* 1/3 cup whole milk
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 medium celery rib, finely chopped
* 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/4 pound bacon (about 4 slices), chopped
* 1/2 cup pitted prunes, chopped
* 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
* 1/2 pound ground pork (not lean)
* 2 large eggs
* 1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

* Garnish: cooked bacon

Preheat oven to 350 F with rack in middle.

Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.

Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add to bread-crumb mixture.

Finely chop bacon and prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.

Pack mixture into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan.

Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meatloaf registers 155 F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Here is a link that might be useful: blue-ribbon meatloaf on epicurious

All I can say is I CANNOT WAIT TO COOK AGAIN!!! Sorry, I just had to get that out :) Seriously, meatloaf is one of the 1st things I'll be making. (I haven't had an oven since November 6th)

I also don't have a recipe, I just go by feel mostly. But it's just ground beef (about 1#), breadcrumbs, tomato juice and 1 egg.

But my mom always puts a layer of cheese in the middle of hers with ketchup on top and bakes it in a loaf pan. DH is picky about his food and his mom always did hers on a broiler pan (with the slots so the fat drains away from the meat) with bacon on top....so that's how I've been making it since we've been together. But now I'm thinking I can make the mixture and divide it in half so he can have his mom's version and I can have my mom's version - Genuis!! :)

Beagles- I love meatloaf and use leftovers cold on sandwiches, like lunch meat.

Here's my recipe, which is a bit different, but very healthy...and my husband actually likes it :)

1 pound ground TURKEY meat
1/2 cup oatmeal (I use the Quaker old fashioned style)
1 small can (8 oz) no-salt tomato sauce
1 egg
Throw some dill, sage, basil and pepper in (probably 1/4 tsp. dill and a few shakes of everything else)

Toss everything into a big mixing bowl and stir it together. It should be a little 'slimy looking' (LOL) but if it's really bad, add a little more oatmeal.

Put it into an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish and cook at 350 degrees for about an hour and fifteen minutes. If you put some big baked potatoes in at the same time...you have an instant dinner, with a veggie or salad added.

I know you don't cook (so don't be insulted) but we rinse and dry the potatoes, poke them with the fork in about 8 places and rub a little oil on them, before putting them into the oven.

Also, let me know if you want a SUPER easy biscuit recipe...that you can also use to make dumplings and even a fairly good pizza crust :)

Sure lavender, I'll take the biscuit recipe. I may not ever make it, but just in case. I think DF might die of shock if I ever actually made homemade biscuits! I even burn microwave bacon!

Who knows, maybe w/ all these great recipes, we'll actually cook once we get our new kitchen instead of just looking at how pretty it is (then again... cooking might mess up the kitchen, so maybe not!)

I'll have to branch out and try some of these recipes!

First of all I have the meat department grind up a chuck roast, which I then divide into 1 lb increments (so it can be frozen or used that way.) The freshly ground chuck tastes much better in my opinion.

Pepperidge Farm Meatloaf

1 medium onion
1/2 cup stuffing
1/2 cup chicken stock (or 1 cube bullion in 1/w cup water)
1 lb ground chuck
3 TB Romano Cheese (grated)
1 slightly beaten egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Saute the onion in butter (around 1 TB). In a large bowl mix the stuffing with the stock/bullion. Add the onion, when it cools a little, and the rest of the ingredients. Blend with your hands to an even consistency. Place in a loaf pan. Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. Yummy.

If you want you can pour 8 oz tomato sauce on top for the last 20 minutes of cooking, but I never do.

DH always requests this when I ask what he feels like eating. It's very easy and quick.

You probably have enough recipes to last you a life time now, but here's one that I recently found on myrecipes.com and I will never try another. Easy and delicious. I used Keebler townhouse crackers though, not saltines because that's what I had on hand.

Here is a link that might be useful: Diner Meatloaf Muffins

Beagles- LOL! You remind me of my SIL, who has a beautiful kitchen but rarely cooks...but the kitchen always looks nice :)

Okay, this biscuit recipe is my favorite and I got it from my little kids' cookbook, when I was 7. My nieces and nephews love to make these.

Sift together in a large mixing bowl:

2 cups flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter or margerine to flour mixture, after sifting it into the bowl.

Note: If your butter/margerine is right out of the fridge, then unwrap the stick and microwave for 35 seconds at 50% power.

Use two butter knives and 'cut' the butter/margerine in (you put a butter knife in each hand, sharp sides together and cross them against each other, which will cut the butter/margerine into fairly small pieces. Only do this until the pieces are about pea shaped...if you do this too long your flour will get over worked and your biscuits will be tough.

Once the butter/margerine is mixed in, add 1 cup of milk and stir together with a fork...just until everything sticks together and is not sticking to the bowl.

Drop biscuits onto the pan (use the spoon and pick up a chunk and drop it on the pan). There should be enough to make 8 biscuits.

Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. These are really good with soup or stew...and you don't have to roll them out. Also great with butter/margerine and honey, with fried chicken :)

To make dumplings, drop pieces of batter into boiling chicken broth with chicken meat and carrots. (There should be enough chicken broth, etc. to slightly more than half fill a 4-5 quart pot.) Turn soup down to simmer and cook with lid ON pan for 10 minutes, then take lid OFF pan for 10 minutes. Great dumplings.

For pizza crust, use a little oil on your hands, take the biscuit dough out of the bowl and push it out to cover a cookie sheet/pizza pan. It might take a little stretching, but you'll have plenty of dough for an average sized pan. Cover dough with tomato/pizza sauce (not too much) toppings and cheese and cook at 425 degrees for 15 minutes. It should be done, but might take a few more minutes, depending on amount of toppings. Makes a great thick crust pizza, but softer than what you buy at the pizza place. Very yummy! :)

Oops, should have said preheated 425 degree oven., which you probably know, but I forgot to include in the recipe.

Also, I have SUPER easy recipes for cornbread and fried chicken, if you want to try them.

Cooking is not hard...it can be really easy. The key is to have a few very easy recipes that you feel comfortable using and then try a few more. Don't try to start with a fancy recipe out of the cookbooks. Remember, everyone used to have to cook ALL their meals...so there are some VERY easy recipes out there :)

Also, BH&G cookbook has many simple recipes, including a beer bread recipe that your DF might like (my husband loves it). Also VERY easy to make!

Recipe for biscuits sounds great lavender. and it looks easy enough for me to handle!

I know I'm never going to become a cook, even if I theoretically could do it. I like eating out too much and I get really bored and distracted in the kitchen. Plus, I am completely incapable of cleaning up!

We've got some great recipes to try here though :)

We use Rotel in our meat loaf- adds a little zip.....

I haven't seen anyone (I might have missed it) suggest checking your oven temperature! Most ovens are off, in my experience. I like to bake, and temperature is crucial in baking. Pick up an oven thermometer and check it often.

Jay

This is my husband's meatloaf recipe:

MEATLOAF

Approx. 1 1/3 lb. lean ground beef
3/4 cup bread crumbs (more or less to taste)
1/2 cup ketchup (more or less to taste)
One chopped onion (he uses raw - I like to saute the onions first)
2 beaten eggs

Shape into a loaf and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour.

Reckon this recipe is bullet-proof - because it is the only thing my husband knows how to cook in an oven - and it comes out pretty darn good (and I don't even like meatloaf).

FWIW - my husband is not really a cook - but he's a great prep chef. Wouldn't make half the things I make if he didn't do all the prep for me. Robyn

I'm sure our ovens are off. They are some random GE things, no research was done before buying, we've never checked the temperature, and I'm still not sure how they work except to hit bake and convection bake and, I don't really understand the difference so sometimes I hit one and sometimes I hit the other, lol. I gather convection ovens bake things faster b/c the first time I tried to toast bread to make bread and cheese in the oven, the bread got burned pretty badly....

Shortyrobyn your recipe sounds easy, we'll have to try that one too. Bullet proof is good!

Read through and didn't see my recipe anywhere in here so I'll add it to your list for consideration. FWIW, my DH refused to eat meatloaf based on horrific childhood experiences but after trying mine 20 years ago he's CURED LOL and asks for it weekly.

1.25 lbs ground beef (I usually aim for 90% lean)
1 cup dry pepperidge farm herbed stuffing (blue & white bag)
1 can Campbells condensed tomato soup
1-2 tsp Worcestershire to taste
1 egg
dash of milk (maybe 1 T at the most)
4 slices bacon

I beat the egg in the bowl first, then add Worcestershire and undiluted soup and mix together. Then add stuffing mix to moisten and add beef to all for thorough mixing to distribute the egg mixture throughout. Add dash of milk and mix in. Turn into a loaf pan - I use a pyrex glass one because it seems to form a nicer looking finished loaf - and pat down gently using a fork to remove air pockets. Top with 4 slices of bacon and pop into the oven for 50 min at 400. After 50 min, take out and drain grease. Put it back in for 10 minutes to finish.

Here's what I learned the hard way - you have to let it sit in the warm loaf pan for at least 10 min after removing from the oven to allow the meat to reabsorb the juices and set which helps decrease crumbling. After 10 minutes rest, invert loaf pan onto dish, cut and serve.

I find that it works well to pop baking potatoes alongside in the oven to cook the entire time as a side!

Bon Appetit!
Jen

Thanks Jen! The recipe sounds great, we love bacon.

don't click on any fstarr links. they are posting on lots of old threads and it's SPAM or malware. Flag as spam anywhere you see it.

No matter which recipe you choose cook it on a baking sheet (use foil with edges folded up if your cookie sheet doesn't have a rim). Regardless of how much you make just make it longer not taller. I wing my recipes and they always are a family favorite and cooked perfectly - now that I don't use a loaf pan anymore. My family loves a ketchup, mustard, brown sugar glaze on top. I spread it at the end of the cook time with maybe 10 minutes left. Good luck!

Adding to what Kim said, I cook it in a 13x9” baking dish and my meatloaf is probably 6” x 11”. I also use a meat thermometer and cook until the center is 165, which takes an hour at 350