How to Make Meatloaf Gravy

Meatloaf is most often made using a tomato-based glaze, but there’s another equally viable option you can go with: gravy. It’s incredibly simple to prepare and will add some much appreciated extra moisture to your meatloaf as a whole. To make meatloaf gravy, you’ll need:

• Butter
• Onion
• Beef broth
• Water
• Cornstarch

To start cooking your meatloaf gravy, melt some butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Next, mince the onion and add that to the melting butter. Continue to stir and heat the mixture over medium heat until the minced onion is nice and tender.

Next, add in your beef broth. Stir it every so often for about 5 minutes.

In between stirs, begin making a slurry in a separate bowl. This is done by mixing cornstarch and water at a 1-to-2 ratio. Whisk the slurry until it achieves a smooth consistency.

When your slurry is done, pour it into your butter, onion, and broth mixture and stir it all together. Simmer the gravy until it thickens. If it doesn’t get thick enough, make and add more slurry.

As you become more comfortable with your gravy-making skills, feel free to switch it up and make it more your own with additions such as mushrooms, herbs, or even a splash of wine.

Meatloaf Made Using Stove Top Stuffing

If you’re looking to whip up an easy and delicious dish with minimal effort, it’s hard to go wrong with meatloaf made using Stove Top stuffing! The stuffing mix acts as a perfect binding agent and stand-in for the breadcrumbs you may see listed in other meatloaf recipes. But unlike plain breadcrumbs, Stove Top stuffing will bring a whole new flavor profile to your dish!

To get started, you’ll first want to get all of your ingredients collected and ready to go. The last thing you want to do is start rummaging through your cabinets and refrigerator when your hands are covered in raw eggs and meat!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds 90% lean ground beef
• 1 diced white onion
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 4 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
• ½ cup milk
• 6-ounce box of Stove Top stuffing mix
• 2 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper

Sauce

• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp. white vinegar
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt (to taste)
• 1/2 tsp. pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
2. Apply nonstick spray to your loaf pan.
3. Mix your ground beef, eggs, garlic, onion, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, stuffing mix, milk, parsley, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl.
4. Move the mixture to your loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes.
5. While the meatloaf bakes, create your sauce by combining the white vinegar, ketchup, salt, pepper, onion powder, brown sugar, and garlic powder. Whisk them all together and brush this mixture on the top of your meatloaf approximately 15 minutes before it’s done baking.
6. Remove the loaf from the oven and give it 5 minutes to cool prior to serving.

Meatloaf Muffins

Looking to put a fun twist on a classic dish? Then try out our recipe for personal-sized meatloaf muffins! Making meatloaf in a muffin tin allows it to cook faster, and the resulting mini-loaves are great to serve fresh or make ahead and freeze.

• 2 pounds ground beef, 90% lean
• 2 large eggs
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup ketchup
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 cups onion, diced
• ½ cup milk
• 3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning blend
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper

For Glaze:

• 1 ½ cups ketchup
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 3 tsp. vinegar
• 1 tbsp. garlic powder

Mix together the meatloaf ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, then portion out about a third of a cup of the meat mixture into each muffin cup. Bake at 375° for 15 minutes. Combine the glaze ingredients and brush onto the tops of the meatloaf muffins. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.

How to Make Meatloaf Without Breadcrumbs

Few things are more frustrating than starting to put together a recipe and realizing that you’re out of a key ingredient. Thankfully, if the ingredient missing from your meatloaf mise en place is breadcrumbs, there are plenty of quick substitutes that you’re likely to have on hand. Try one of these in your next batch of meatloaf and no one will be the wiser!

Substitutes for Breadcrumbs

For every ¼ cup of breadcrumbs that your recipe calls for, substitute one of these:

• ¼ cup crushed pretzels or crackers
• ¼ cup crushed cornflakes
• 2/3 cup rolled oats

Recipe for Meatloaf Without Breadcrumbs

• 2 pounds lean ground beef
• 2 large eggs
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. ketchup
• 1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped fine
• ½ cup whole milk
• 1 medium onion, diced
• ¾ cup crushed pretzels or crackers, ¾ cup crushed cornflakes, or 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning blend
• 1 tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. pepper

Tomato Glaze

• 1 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 2 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. garlic salt
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• Dash of pepper

Set the oven to 375° and prepare a loaf pan by spraying it with nonstick cooking spray. In a large mixing bowl, combine the meatloaf ingredients and mix until homogenous. Then, put the meat mixture in the pan and put it in the oven for 25 minutes. At this point, mix together the glaze ingredients; when the loaf comes out of the oven, apply the glaze with a pastry brush, then continue baking the loaf for another 15 minutes. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before cutting into it.

How to Make Meatloaf Without Eggs

If you’ve run out of eggs but still want to make meatloaf, there’s no reason to order takeout: You can still pull together a meatloaf dinner that’s egg-free and delicious. Swap in an egg substitute and nobody will ever be able to tell the difference!

Potential Egg Substitutes

• Extra Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs are already found in most meatloaf recipes, but an extra ¼ cup of them can make up for the loss of one egg.
• Olive Oil: Olive oil is far runnier and, naturally, oilier than eggs, so you’ll want to add one tablespoon at a time until the consistency seems right. Roughly ¼ cup of olive oil equals one egg.
• Flax Egg: Flax egg is made by mixing water and flaxseed meal. The ratio of ¼ cup water to one tablespoon of flaxseed meal is equivalent to one egg. So to substitute for two eggs in a meatloaf, you’ll want to mix ½ cup of water with 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal.

Egg-Free Meatloaf Recipe

• 2 pounds ground beef
• ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup extra breadcrumbs, or ½ cup of water mixed with 2 tbsp. flaxseed meal
• 2 tbsp. garlic, pressed or minced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 tbsp. ketchup
• 4 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
• ½ cup milk
• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. oregano
• ½ tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper

Ketchup Glaze

• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°. Grease your loaf pan with cooking spray or a light coating of vegetable oil. In a big bowl, combine all of the meatloaf ingredients, mixing with your hands until it’s fully combined. Put the meat mixture into the pan and bake for 25 minutes. While the loaf is baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl. After 25 minutes of bake time, pull out the meatloaf and brush the sauce mixture on top, then return the loaf to the oven. Let it bake for another 15 minutes, then rest the meatloaf for 5 minutes before you cut it.

How to Make Meatloaf With Oatmeal

Every meatloaf recipe includes some sort of binder to hold the loaf together, and often, this ingredient is breadcrumbs. But if you have a gluten intolerance issue or just don’t have any breadcrumbs in the house, you can also use oatmeal. Try this recipe the next time you have a craving for a delicious, hearty dinner!

What You Will Need

• 2 pounds ground beef, 90% lean
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 tbsp. garlic, minced
• 5 tbsp. ketchup
• ½ cup milk
• 4 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• ½ tsp. smoked paprika
• 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup uncooked quick oats
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. pepper

Sauce Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 tsp. vinegar
• 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Set the oven to 375° and grease a loaf pan with nonstick spray.
2. Mix together the beef, eggs, ketchup, milk, garlic, parsley, onion, paprika, Italian seasoning, oats, salt, and pepper until combined.
3. Put the meat into the loaf pan and bake it for 25 minutes.
4. Mix together the sauce ingredients and baste the top of the loaf.
5. Return the meatloaf to the oven for another 15 minutes.
6. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Meatloaf for Dogs

Meatloaf is a true family dinner classic that everyone can enjoy, including your furriest family member.

When making meatloaf for a dog, the recipe may be a bit different than you’re used to, as dogs have more dietary restrictions than their human counterparts. Here’s how to go about whipping up a meatloaf dinner for your dog:

1. Choose a meat. Meatloaf is most commonly made with lean ground beef, but you may want to consider swapping it for turkey or chicken if your dog is slightly overweight.
2. Mix 2 pounds of ground meat with 3 eggs and 2 cups of chopped vegetables. Be sure not to include onions, as they can be harmful to dogs.
3. Add ¾ cup of fiber to the mix (flaxseed meal, wheat germ, cooked oats, etc.).
4. Pour 1 cup of beef or chicken broth in and mix well.
5. Put the loaf into a pan coated with nonstick spray and bake it for about an hour at 350°F.

Who Invented Meatloaf?

Meatloaf has become a classic dinner dish in modern times, but where did it start and who invented meatloaf in the first place?

When you think of classic culinary creations, plenty of dishes probably come to mind. Stews, roast pigs, even beer, are all well-known for having a long lineage in the cooking world. But did you know that meatloaf should be counted among them? It’s true. While many may think of meatloaf as a relatively modern meal, the truth couldn’t be farther from the case.

The first instance of a meatloaf recipe can be traced all the way back to the first century AD in the ancient Roman cookbook Apicius. However, as we’re still uncertain as to who exactly authored Apicius, let alone who penned the specific meatloaf recipe within, it’s impossible to pinpoint exactly who invented meatloaf. We could say that the Romans invented meatloaf; at least the earliest iteration thereof.

The recipe as it appears in Apicius isn’t exactly the same as the meatloaf you may be familiar with. A more concrete origin for the American version of meatloaf can be found in scrapple. Scrapple is a combination of pork scraps, cornmeal, and flour that came from German-Americans living in Pennsylvania during the colonial era.

How Many Calories Are in Meatloaf?

Meatloaf is undoubtedly delicious, but it’s not necessarily known for being healthy. In fact, when made using 80% lean ground beef, one pound of meatloaf contains roughly 1,152 calories. But when you cut that down to a serving size of about 4 ounces, it’s 350 calories, which seems a lot more reasonable.

If that still seems like too many meatloaf calories for you, there are a few strategies to bring that number down. You can start by swapping out 80% lean beef with 90% instead. Doing this alone will lower the calories in one 4-ounce slice to about 225 calories. You can also choose to use a healthier ground beef alternative, such as ground turkey: A 4-ounce slice of turkey meatloaf only has about 192 calories.

Meatloaf Nutrition Facts

Here are the average nutrition facts and daily values for one 5-ounce slice of meatloaf made using ground beef:

Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.

Note that this info varies depending on your exact recipe.

Here are the average nutrition facts and daily values for one 5-ounce slice of meatloaf made using ground turkey: