This Easy Classic Meatloaf Recipe is an updated version of the more traditional meatloaf. This meatloaf is made with oatmeal, is super moist, and full of flavor. The sweet but tangy sauce is the real show-stopper here. It has so much flavor; it's a party for your tastebuds.
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This recipe is another one of our family's favorites that we keep in our dinner rotation. My daughter loves this recipe so much she has even requested to have it for her birthday dinner! It is simple to put together, using ingredients you probably already have on hand in your pantry.
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Ingredients for Classic Meatloaf
- 2 pounds of ground beef. I use lean ground beef.
- 1 Onion. I use ½ red and ½ yellow onions. Green onions would taste great too.
- Garlic. I use 4 cloves. You could substitute 2 teaspoon garlic powder.
- 1 cup of rolled oats. This is used as a binder to hold the meatloaf together. You could substitute bread crumbs, cracker crumbs, cooked rice, or chunks of bread.
- 2 Eggs. Eggs help bind the meat together, as well as add flavor, richness, and moisture. You could substitute olive oil, mayonnaise, egg replacement, or a flax egg or chia seeds. Read this article to learn more.
- Salt and Pepper. For flavor.
- ½ cup of coconut sugar. You could substitute raw sugar, cane sugar, or brown sugar.
- ¾ cup of ketchup. I use organic ketchup.
- 2 tablespoon of soy sauce. I use low sodium soy sauce.
- 2 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Gives the sauce flavor.
- ½ cup of BBQ sauce. Dresses up the flavor even more. Use your favorite brand or homemade sauce.
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard. Provides the tangy flavor. Use 2 tablespoon of prepared mustard if you don't have dry mustard powder.
- 1 cup of hot water.
How To Make Classic Meatloaf
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, mix 2 pounds of ground beef, ½ yellow onion, ½ red onion, finely chopped, 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
- Add in 1 cup of rolled oats, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Mix well, then shape into a loaf shape. Then place in a cast iron pot or large baking dish.
- Cover and place in the oven for 1 hour.
- Next, to a medium-size pot, add ½ cups of coconut sugar (or brown sugar), ¾ cup ketchup, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup of BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 1 cup HOT water.
- Using a whisk, mix all ingredients until smooth.
- Heat on stove on medium heat until hot and thickened slightly.
- After meatloaf has been cooking for 1 hour, I use a turkey baster to suck out any grease from around the meat. I then pour the sauce on top of the meatloaf and place it back in the oven, covered, for an additional 20 minutes. The sauce will carmelize as it cooks, and turns out SO good.
- The meatloaf will be cooked when the internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing, and spoon sauce over meatloaf to serve.
- Enjoy!
Mix ingredients for meatloaf together in a bowl 
Form into a loaf shape. Place in pot and bake for 1 hour. 
Add ingredients to the pot for glaze and heat it. Pour glaze over meatloaf. Return to oven to bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy! 
Serve with your favorite side dishes.
Variations
- Instead of oatmeal, use breadcrumbs, bread soaked in milk, or cooked rice.
- Use egg whites instead of the entire egg.
- Instead of dry mustard, use prepared mustard.
- Use ground turkey instead of ground beef.
FAQ section
Use high-fat meat. The leaner the meat, the dryer the meatloaf will be. Therefore, use higher-fat beef, at least 15%. For a meatloaf made with turkey, consider mixing some ground pork to achieve a moist, tender meatloaf.
Don't skip adding the eggs, ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire, and barbecue sauce. They not only add flavor, but they also help make the meat really juicy.
Give the meatloaf space to cook. I know that traditionally you baked meatloaf in a loaf pan, but that results in a brick of meat. So instead, using a cast-iron pot or larger baking dish will leave room for the outside to cook nicely and for the sauce to caramelize around the entire meatloaf perfectly. Yum!
Refrigerate cooked meatloaf in an airtight container or wrap with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. As long as it is properly stored, meatloaf will last for 3 to 4 days in the fridge.
What to do with leftovers?
- Meatloaf sandwich.
- Leftover meatloaf spaghetti (just add tomato sauce to broken up meatloaf).
- Meatloaf tacos.
- Fried rice with meatloaf.
What side dishes go with Classic Meatloaf?
- Mashed Potatoes.
- Instant Pot Rice.
- Crispy oven-roasted potatoes
- The Best Spaghetti Squash In 8 Minutes In Instant Pot
- Salad
- Vegetables, such as green and yellow beans, asparagus, steamed carrots.
Try these other dinner recipes:
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📋 Recipe
Best Easy Classic Meatloaf With Oatmeal
Ingredients
For The Easy Classic Meatloaf
- 2 pounds ground beef
- ½ yellow onion finely chopped
- ½ red onion finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
For The Tangy Sticky Sauce
- ½ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
- ¾ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup barbecue sauce of your choice
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 cup HOT water
Instructions
Instructions For Making Easy Classic Meatloaf
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a large bowl, mix 2 pounds of ground beef, ½ yellow onion, ½ red onion, finely chopped, 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped.
- Add in 1 cup of rolled oats, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper.
- Mix well, then shape into a loaf shape.
- Then place in a cast iron pot or large baking dish. Cover and place in the oven for 1 hour.
Instructions For Making The Sauce
- To a medium-size pot, add ½ cups of coconut sugar (or brown sugar), ¾ cup ketchup, 2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ cup of BBQ sauce, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 1 cup HOT water.
- Using a whisk, mix all ingredients until smooth. Heat on stove on medium heat until hot and thickened slightly.
- After meatloaf has been cooking for 1 hour, I use a turkey baster to suck out any grease from around the meat.
- I then pour the sauce on top of the meatloaf and place it back in the oven, covered, for an additional 20 minutes. The sauce will carmelize as it cooks, and turns out SO good.
- The meatloaf will be cooked when the internal temperature is 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Let meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing, and spoon sauce over meatloaf to serve.
- Enjoy!
Erin Gierhart
This tastes just like the meatloaf my mom used to make! Brings me back to childhood.