Cora's Cottage

Fall is the time of year when I like slow, hearty meals.  Things like soups and stews, crockpot meals, and casseroles. But I also like a good protein, carb, and veggie combo too.

One protein that lends itself well to this type of hearty combo is meatloaf!

Imagine a brisk fall day.  You’ve just come home from a day out enjoying the fall weather and festivities with family and friends.  You want nothing more than a good meal around the table with your family.

Knowing you would want something simple but hearty you planned ahead and made meatloaf this morning before heading out and peeled and sliced potatoes to make mash potatoes.  A warm and welcoming meal is on the table with minimal fuss, exactly what you needed.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Simple: Straight-forward ingredients that are easy to find and use makes this a perfect option for a busy lifestyle or beginner in the kitchen!

Easy: No complicated steps or specialty equipment needed! Avoid the fuss of recipes with long instructions, this recipe has only a few steps that are easy enough your kids can even help you prepare dinner!

Hearty and Filling: With a protein, carbohydrate, and vegetable this meal is filling.  A perfect combination for a cool fall day!

Tips and Tricks

“Cookie” > Loaf: Making meatloaf in an actual loaf can be time consuming and might mean extra tools in your kitchen if you don’t already have a loaf pan. I much prefer to make my meatloaf in a “cookie” form, as my husband calls it, by using a baking dish or cookie sheet to press the meat to be 3/4 to 1-inch thick. I find that this not only speeds up my cooking time, it makes it easier to serve.

Add-Ins: While you can keep it super simple, there are also lots of options to spice up you meatloaf.  As a general rule, I add an egg and bread crumbs but from there the options are endless.  If your family likes onions add those, if they prefer a BBQ flavor add BBQ sauce.  Get creative to find a flavor your family loves! 

Carbohydrate: While potatoes are featured in the recipe and happen to be my favorite option to go with meatloaf, you can substitute any carbohydrate such as noodles or rice.

Vegetable: Another option to substitute is the vegetable.  Here I featured carrots, but you could chose any vegetable your family prefers.  Corn, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, peas; the options are endless!

Tools

• Large Mixing Bowl
• Baking Dish/Loaf Pan/Cookie Sheet
• Hot Pads

Ingredients

• Ground Beef
• Eggs
• Bread Crumbs
• Onions
• Ketchup
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder
• Worcestershire Sauce

How To Make Meatloaf Dinner

Starting with a large mixing bowl, add the ground beef.  Add all the additional ingredients before mixing it all together well.

When mixing the ingredients, I like to use my hands as it is faster and easier to incorporate all the ingredients.  Just be sure to wash your hands well before and after mixing.

After all the ingredients are well incorporated, transfer the ground beef into a baking dish, loaf pan, or cookie sheet that has been sprayed.  I love this refillable Misto sprayer for spraying pans! 

Be sure to spread out the ground beef evenly and if using a dish where it touches the edges to press it into the corners.

Cover the top with ketchup and bake at 350*F for 40-45 or until no pink shows in the middle. Serve with mashed potatoes and carrots or your carbohydrate and vegetable of choice.

Leftovers will store in the refrigerator for 5-7 days or the freezer for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to use ground beef?

No! You can substitute in any ground meat such as pork to venison.

My family likes BBQ.  Can I use BBQ sauce instead of ketchup?

Absolutely! You can substitute BBQ sauce for the ketchup or even add BBQ sauce to fit your family’s preferences.

I eat low-sodium. Can I use less salt?

Sure! You can season the meatloaf more or less depending on your eating restrictions and taste/preferences.