I like the individual meatloafs made in the muffin pan. The veggies are pureed in the food processor so they just sort of blend in. Might be good for kids :-> They can't spot the veggies. We love this recipe.

Mini meatloafs
Rachael Ray

1 2/3 to 1 3/4 pounds ground sirloin
1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 ribs celery from the heart of the stalk, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper
1 large egg plus a splash of milk, beaten
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick)
1 cup smoky barbecue sauce
1/2 cup tomato salsa
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Put ground beef into a big bowl. Put onion and celery into a food processor. Cut the bell pepper in half, rip out the seeds and throw them into your garbage bowl. Cut the pepper into a few pieces and add to the food processor. Pulse the processor blades to finely chop the vegetables into very small pieces then add them to the meat bowl. Add egg, beaten with milk, bread crumbs and grill seasoning to the bowl.

Next, mix together the smoky barbecue sauce, the salsa and the Worcestershire sauce. Pour half the sauce mixture into the bowl with the meatloaf mix. Mix the meatloaf together with your hands.

Brush a 12-muffin tin (1/2-cup each) with vegetable oil or extra-virgin olive oil. Use an ice cream scoop to help you fill meat into each tin. Top each meat loaf with a spoonful of extra sauce. Bake about 20 minutes. Cut open 1 muffin to test that the middle is cooked through.

Note: On the show she only used half the pepper, 1 stalks of celery and a small onion. I only use 1 Tbsp of the grill seasoning to keep it mild.

I make my meatloaf the same way my mom did, but she used either cracker or cornflake crumbs instead of oatmeal. All ingredients listed are estimates - it's one of those thing I just do by eye. I like to bake potatoes at the same time for an easy dinner.

Becky

* Exported from MasterCook *

Meat Loaf

Recipe By :Becky Chatham
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :1:45
Categories :

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds ground beef
1 onion -- chopped
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup catsup
1/4 cup mustard
1 egg -- beaten
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
1 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Form into a loaf shape and bake in 9 x 13 pan at 350F for about 1 1/2 hours.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Here's the one I've used for years and it is the best I've ever found.
I got the recipe from a player's wife when I worked for the coaching staff of the B.C. Lions pro football club in Vancouver in the early 1960s.

1 1/2 cups soft bread crumbs - (tear up soft sliced bread - don't use fine crumbs as for breading)
1 1/2 lb ground meat (beef or pork & beef) (about 700 grams)
1 beaten egg
1 onion chopped fine
1/4 teasp dry Colman's (or similar) mustard
1/8 teasp ground sage
1/2 teasp ground thyme
1 1/2 teasp salt

1/4 teas pepper
1/8 teasp nutmeg
1 chopped green pepper
1 tin condensed tomato soup (eg Campbells's)
3/4 cup grated celery
3/4 cup grated carrot

1) Mix meat with egg, add onion and seasonings and bread crumbs, greens and carrots

2) Add half the tin of soup and mix everything well. Turn into greased loaf pan or glass casserole dish 8.5 x 11 inches and pour remaining soup over the top, smoothing it evenly over all.

3) Bake 350 F (177 C) for 1 1/4 hours.

Source: American Pro Footbal Player's Wife in 1963

My Notes:

1) I use 'tomate frito' instead of the condensed soup.
It's a rich fried Spanish tomato purée but otherwise condensed soup is good. Never use ketchup !
2) I usually double the amount of the ground spices with the exception of salt.

SharonCb

My favorite recipe for meatloaf is the one my mother made (no surprise there!). Two lbs ground beef, one pound bulk sausage, one great big handful of old-fashioned oatmeal, one egg, one tsp salt, cover the salt with ground pepper, cover that with poultry seasoning. Mix it thoroughly with your hands. Pack it into a loaf pan and bake at 350 for about an hour. I take it out and set in on a rack to drain..she didn't. It's even better for meatloaf sandwiches for the next few days. With dill pickles and mustard.

This is my favourite.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Meat Loaf Magnolia
==================
My version of a meatloaf that I had in Magnolia's Restaurant in Charleston, SC. When we got home from vacation I set out to duplicate it because it was the first meatloaf I found that I actually liked. It was different because Magnolia's grilled the slices before serving and it didn't contain ketchup or tomato sauce like so many meatloaf recipes do.

1 1/2 pounds ground veal or mixture of beef and veal

1 small onion finely chopped
1 to 2 cloves of garlic
2 slices Italian/French Bread soaked in milk
2 eggs
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoons of dried herbs,
(sage and Thyme, a small amount of rosemary
olive oil

Sauce

Green peppercorns
mushroons
1 to 2 cups chicken broth
. Saute onion in olive oil until soft. Add minced garlic and saute for
30 seconds. Do not brown garlic

Soak bread in milk

In a large bowl add meat, dijon mustard, chopped parsley, herbs, onions
and garlic and mix with hands. Squeeze bread to break up and add milk
and bread to mixture. Add eggs. Mix well and season with salt and
pepper. Saute a small piece to check for seasoning. Adjust to taste.

Shape meatloaf into a rectangle about 8 X 4 x 3 inches high and place
in a small roasting pan. Bake for 30 minutes and then add a small
amount of broth to the pan to prevent the bottom from becoming to
brown. Bake another 30 minutes and baste with the pan juices. Add
more broth if necessary. Cook another 10 minutes or until the meatloaf
is nicely browned.

Let cool and wrap in foil and refrigerate. Reserve pan juices.

Make a sauce by adding some green peppercorns and sauted mushrooms to
the pan juices.

Heat grill

Slice meatloaf into 1/2 inch thick slices and grill on both sides until
nicely marked and hot.

Serve with mashed potatoes

Probably not what you're thinking of but I make it with turkey since I don't eat a lot of red meat. This recipe from Cooking Light is now my favorite.

Sun Dried Tomato Meat Loaf with Red Currant Wine Sauce

Ingredients

Meat loaf:
Cooking spray
3 (1-ounce) slices white bread (I use whole wheat)
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh basil
1/3 cup sun-dried tomato sprinkles
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 pounds ground turkey breast
2 large eggs (I use egg beaters)

Sauce:
1/2 cup red currant jelly
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Coat 2 (8 x 4-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray; set aside.

To prepare meat loaves, place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs, onion, and next 7 ingredients (onion through eggs). Divide meat mixture in half. Press each portion into prepared pans.

Bake at 400° for 55 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 180°.

To prepare sauce, combine jelly, wine, and flour in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes or until jelly melts.

To freeze unbaked meat loaf: Prepare through Step 3. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen unbaked meat loaf: Thaw completely in refrigerator (about 24 hours). Preheat oven to 400º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover meat loaf with reserved foil; bake at 400º for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 45 minutes or until a meat thermometer registers 180º. Prepare half of red currant-wine sauce; serve over meat loaf.

10 servings, 5 per pan (serving size: 5 ounces meat loaf and about 1 tablespoon sauce)

Of the above recipes I have only tried Sharon's (canarybird) and it was the best meatloaf I had ever eaten.

Just this week I tried one that had been done by America's Test Kitchen and really liked the texture. The texture of a meatloaf is what I really don't like about most of them. They had tested this many ways including all different kids of meats with different porportions of fat, etc. This was of course their best effort. If I make this one again I would add more onions and some finely chopped green pepper because IMHO it was lacking something in taste. The glaze for this was especially good too.

Glazed All-Beef Meat Loaf (Cook's Illustrated)

3 ounces Monterey Jack cheese , grated on small holes of box grater (about 1 cup)
1 Tablespoon butter
1 medium onion (about 1 cup)
1 medium rib celery mined (About 1/2 cup)
1 medium clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 cup tomato juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons minced parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 Lb. ground sirloin
1 Lb. ground beef chuck (Or use 85% Ground beef.)
21 saltines, crushed
Glaze

1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 cup cider vinegar
3 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread cheese on plate and place in freezer until ready to use. Prepare baking pan by folding a piece of aluminum foil into a 10"X6" rectangle. Place it on a cooling rack placed inside a baking pan with sides. Using a skewer, poke holes in the luminum foil every 1/2 inch. Spray the foil with non-stick vegetable spray before putting the meat loaf on it.

2. Heat butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming; add onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and paprika and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and add tomato juice. Cook, stirring to scrape up browned bits from pan, until thickened, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to small bowl and set aside to cool.

3. Whisk broth and eggs in large bowl until combined. Sprinkle gelatin over liquid and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in soy sauce, mustard, saltines, parsley, salt, pepper, and onion mixture. Crumble frozen cheese into coarse powder and sprinkle over mixture. Add ground beef; mix gently with hands until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute. Transfer meat to foil rectangle and shape into 10 by 6-inch oval about 2 inches high. Smooth top and edges of meat loaf with moistened spatula. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf reads 135 to 140 degrees, 55 to 65 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and turn on broiler.

4. While meat loaf cooks, combine ingredients for glaze in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring, until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spread half of glaze evenly over cooked meat loaf with rubber spatula; place under broiler and cook until glaze bubbles and begins to brown at edges, about 5 minutes. Remove meat loaf from oven and spread evenly with remaining glaze; place back under broiler and cook until glaze is again bubbling and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes more. Let meat loaf cool about 20 minutes before slicing.

Hamburger, cracker/bread crumbs, and an egg. Mush it together and bake it in a pan.

Great time to search the cupboards for stale crackers. Lots of stuff can go in a meatloaf and I'm all for using stuff up. Don't think I'll use any curry powder or mashed potatoes soon. If I were in a spice mood I'd probably use a bit of allspice and black pepper. A teaspoon of cream of wheat dry cereal helps soak up juice... more then a teaspoon and it becomes obvious after cooking.

: )
lyra

This is the latest meatloaf made at our house. The boys love it..I think it's the sweetness.

Thanks all for the great ideas! I think I'm going to take some new ideas from reading through all of yours and try and create something new. Every Tues. nite is "band night" at my house. My DH was in a band as a kid with his best friends. 40 years later these guys (same guys... how cool is that!) come over on Tuesdays nite and "practice" and I make dinner. I've been dubbed "band mom". It's 25% music, 25% food, and 50% laughs. These boys look forward to a home cooked meal all week and I love planning it. So... it'll be an All-American meal in honor of Election Day I guess. Meatloaf, mashed potatos, maybe garlic string beans, and... hmmm... artiisan bread(?). Apple cake with vanilla ice cream should round it out nicely, Now that'll be a guy meal if I ever heard of one! I'm so glad you all shared. Thanks!
Elyse

I asked this exact question awhile ago and got at least 20 different ones to try. I think I've done three because we got the Paul Prudhomme version and stopped trying. It's my husband and my favorite one! The others are good too.

My favorite is from Peg Bracken's "I Hate to Cook Book." When I discovered it years ago I stopped trying other recipes because I thought this one is so good. Like ann_t's Meat Loaf Magnolia, (which I'm now going to try!)Peg's recipe does not have ketchup or tomato sauce.

Swiss Loaf
2 lb hamburger
1 1/2 c. diced Swiss cheese
2 beaten eggs
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/ tsp pepper
1 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp paprika
2 1/2 c. milk
1 c. dry bread crumbs

Mix ingredients together in the approximate order listed. Press into a greased 9x5 loaf pan. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees about 1 1/2 hr. (I put it on a cookie sheet - the juices have a tendency to run over). Even better the next day. Freezes well.

Martha Stewart has a number of meatloaf recipes on her website, and I've tried most of them, and they're all pretty good. My 2nd favorite is Mrs. Kostyra's (Martha's Mom) Meatloaf. But my MOST favorite is Martha's "All-American Meatloaf". I like it the most because (a) it's free-form (doesn't use a loaf pan) which means a lovely crust all the way around, and (b) it has an awesome topping with a sauteed onion mixture, that just makes the whole thing extra special. The downside is that, for a meatloaf, it has a lot of ingredients, it being a Martha recipe and all. You also need to make sure you process the vegetables pretty well, or else the meatloaf will be too chunky with the vegetables. Really, it's delicious.

Also on Martha's website is a "Birthday Meatloaf 'Cake'" that one of these days I MUST try, but haven't yet. It's meatloaf cooked in 2 round cake pans to make two layers, with a "frosting" in between the layers and on top made of mashed potatoes. There's a photo on the website, and I can't decide whether I think it just looks too gross, but certainly it looks like it would be fun for kids.

Martha's All-American Meatloaf

Mrs. Kostyra's Meatloaf

Birthday Meatloaf "Cake"

I rarely use a recipe for meatloaf...just throw things in to vary the basic hamburger, bread crumbs, egg base with veggies and spices to suit me at the moment. But this discussion reminds me that we used to love a recipe for applesauce meatloaf. We liked it best with ground chicken or turkey. It had the soft breadcrumbs and eggs, but was spiced with mustard, ginger, and, I think, sage, and baked with applesauce on the top. We liked to use seedy bread for the breadcrumbs to add some interest to the loaf. I will have to track down that recipe again...

I use Paul Prudhomme's recipe. I've never had a failure!

CAJUN MEAT LOAF

SEASONING MIX:
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Ground cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Ground Black pepper
1/2 tsp. Ground White pepper
1/2 tsp. Ground cumin
1/2 tsp. Ground nutmeg

MAIN INGREDIENTS:
4 Tblsp. Unsalted butter
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
2 tsp. Minced garlic
1 Tblsp. Tabasco sauce
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup ketchup
1-1/2 lbs. Ground sirloin
1/2 lb. Ground pork
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup very fine bread crumbs

Combine seasoning mix ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a 1-qt. Saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, celery, bell pepper, green onions, garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire, and seasoning mix. Sauté until mixture starts sticking excessively, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally and scraping the pan bottom well. Stir in the milk and ketchup. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool to room temperature.

Place ground beef and pork in an ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Add eggs, cooked vegetable mixture, and bread crumbs. REMOVE BAY LEAVES. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined. In the center of the pan, shape the mixture into a loaf. Bake, uncovered, at 350° F. for 25 minutes, then raise heat to 400° F. and continue baking until done, about 35 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

**This is best using both beef and pork, but can be made with beef only.**

From Paul Prudhommes A Louisiana Kitchen.

At times I find some meatloaves, after baked, too dense and heavy. To overcome this I use my KitchenAid mixer. Whatever your basic recipe is, try using your stand mixer equiped with the mixing paddle. Using hands, you would be inclined to "squish" everything too much and too tightly.
Also, think the warmth from the hands is a disadvantage.
(Works for meatballs, too!)
When hand shaping, do not pack too tightly, use a light hand. Am certainly going to try the Cajun recipe. Sounds wonderful!