Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Easy Meatloaf
A slice of meatloaf with a sweet barbecue top makes a familiar, comforting dinner. The mixed meats give it a savory middle, ready to cut once the loaf has rested.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 80 min
- Total
- 100 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner · Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef · Pork
- Cuisine
- American
- Cooking method
- Baking · Baked & roasted
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 16–30 minutes · Total: over 60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Soak the breadcrumbs
Stir milk into the breadcrumbs and leave them about a minute before adding the meat and other ingredients to the bowl.
2. Mix only until combined
Use hands or a spoon to bring the mixture together, stopping before it becomes overworked and dense.
3. Reserve glaze sauce
Most barbecue sauce goes into the meat mixture. Keep the final portion for brushing over the shaped loaf before baking.
Get to know the ingredients
Two ground meats
Both ground pork and ground beef go into the loaf mixture after the breadcrumb soak, together with vegetables and egg.
Finely prepared onion
Finely chop or grate the onion before mixing, helping it spread throughout the meatloaf instead of staying in large pieces.
Breadcrumb choices
Panko, Italian breadcrumbs and regular breadcrumbs all work. Panko gives the meatloaf a slightly lighter texture.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 6 steps completeMake room for Easy Meatloaf
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Rest before slicing
Once the loaf reaches the specified 160°F center, rest it ten minutes before cutting slices from the glazed meatloaf.
A little more help as you go
Prepare the loaf pan
Spray the loaf pan before filling it, then shape the mixture into a loaf before brushing on the final sauce.
An overnight head start
You can prepare the whole meatloaf the night before. Cover and chill it, then bake fresh the next day.
A few questions you might have
What if I do not have barbecue sauce?
Try ketchup mixed with a little brown sugar and a splash of Worcestershire as an alternative.
How do I know the loaf is cooked?
Use an instant-read thermometer in the meatloaf. The directions specify 160°F rather than relying only on the baking time.
Does all the barbecue sauce go on top?
About three-quarters of a cup goes into the meat mixture. Brush the remaining portion over the shaped loaf.
What size should the green pepper pieces be?
The list calls for finely chopped green pepper. Add it with the other ingredients after the breadcrumb-and-milk soak.
How long is the baking range?
The directions give sixty to eighty minutes at 350°F, with the thermometer reading used to confirm the loaf is done.
Any more cooking tips?
I like using Panko for a slightly lighter, fluffier texture, but regular breadcrumbs work just fine too. No BBQ sauce? Been there. Just mix ketchup with a bit of brown sugar and a splash of Worcestershire, you’re back in business. Don’t overmix the meat. Trust me, I’ve made that mistake and ended up with a meat brick. Mix just until it holds together. Let it rest after baking. I know, I know, you want to dig in, but those 10 minutes make all the difference. You can prep the whole thing the night before. Just cover and chill, then bake it fresh the next day. Easy!
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: jocooks.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
