Meatloaf Variations
While meatloaf may be a classic dish that families have made for generations, there is no such thing as a single meatloaf recipe that everybody in the world uses. There are plenty of different meatloaf variations, from small tweaks to the ingredients to different glazes to loafs made with all sorts of meats, from turkey to rabbit. It’s easy to make meatloaf fit your dietary needs or just the whims of your taste buds!
The Classic Meatloaf Recipe
There’s nothing quite as simple and delicious as a traditional meatloaf recipe. Using ground beef, eggs, ketchup, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning, you can easily create a delicious meal the whole family will enjoy. It only takes a few minutes to put it together and less than an hour in the oven until it’s fully cooked, but once it’s out of the oven, it’s completely ready to serve alongside your favorite side dishes. It may seem simple, but the taste packs a punch that will have everybody asking for more.
Turkey Meatloaf Recipe
Ground beef isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. Some people prefer a healthier alternative that still offers a meaty taste, and if that sounds like you, a turkey meatloaf can be a delicious option for you to try. Like the classic meatloaf recipe, it’s full of flavor, and it won’t dry out easily. It comes together just as easily as a traditional meatloaf, with many of the same ingredients, but it also includes mushrooms that not only add to the taste and texture but make it even healthier!
Diabetic-Friendly Meatloaf
If you or somebody you love has been diagnosed with diabetes, you don’t have to cut meatloaf completely out of your diet. With a few changes to the recipe, you can easily create a diabetic-friendly meatloaf made with fresh ingredients that help you follow the doctor’s orders. This recipe uses a mix of ground beef and ground turkey with egg whites instead of eggs and old-fashioned oats as the binding ingredient instead of breadcrumbs. With a few changes to the original meatloaf recipe, you can easily create a meatloaf that’s just as meaty and delicious as ever.
Gluten-Free Meatloaf
A gluten-free meatloaf is as easy to make as any other meatloaf, and it has more vegetables in it, which makes it a healthier, lighter alternative to the classic meatloaf that you may want to try even if you’re not gluten-free. It uses ground turkey or 90% lean ground beef, gluten-free oats, carrots, and zucchini to bind everything together and create a loaf that’s healthy and tasty.
Keto-Friendly Meatloaf
The keto diet is very popular these days, but it can be hard to find a keto meatloaf recipe that doesn’t fall apart at a single touch and still has a lot of flavor. Going keto may restrict certain ingredients from everyday use, but meatloaf shouldn’t be a splurge meal. You can still stay on your diet and enjoy it by using almond flour and cheese instead of breadcrumbs.
Meatloaf and Gravy
Ketchup is a popular meatloaf glaze because it adds a touch of sweetness and acidity in every bite, but not everybody likes ketchup. Gravy makes a great alternative to top your meatloaf, and it’s pretty easy to make while the loaf is baking. Once you plate your meatloaf, you can smother it in gravy and use some of the excess for your side dishes to tie the whole meal together.
Meatloaf with Oatmeal
Breadcrumbs are the most popular binding ingredient for meatloaf, but they’re not the only option. You can also choose to make your meatloaf with oatmeal to bind your ingredients together, meaning that if you’re out of breadcrumbs, you don’t have to make a run to the store or make something else for dinner. The oatmeal is a one-to-one substitution for the breadcrumbs, so you can add the same amount of oatmeal as you would breadcrumbs and end up with a similar result.
