Classic Meatloaf Recipe: How to Make Homemade Meatloaf

Meatloaf is a baked dish with a ground meat base that’s often served in the shape of a bread loaf. While many classic meatloaf recipes use lean ground beef as their central ingredient, you can utilize ground pork or ground turkey. Making use of a meat mixture rather than just one kind of meat is also fairly common.

This comfort food is often mixed with vegetables, eggs, and other ingredients to increase the flavor and texture, then topped with a meatloaf sauce made with Worcestershire sauce, BBQ sauce, chili sauce, Italian seasoning, or even ketchup.

Easy meatloaf recipes often become family favorites due to their versatility. Homemade meatloaf works well as a main dish on a weeknight or even as leftovers the following day. For instance, you can turn the remnants from the night before into meatballs and serve them with pasta or stuff them in a sandwich.

Meatloaf is a main dish you can pair with a side of vegetables for a complete meal.

1. 1. Bell peppers: Sear bell peppers in olive oil or blister them under the broiler. If you have extra bell peppers, you can dice them and add them to the meatloaf mixture itself before you cook the main course.
2. 2. Green beans: Green beans are low in carbohydrates and can help lower cholesterol. They’re also an excellent source of dietary fiber, potassium, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Sauté them over the stove with minced garlic for a yummy side dish.
3. 3. Mashed potatoes: Mashed potatoes pair well with meatloaf—you can even use the same sauce for both your meatloaf and your potatoes.