Grandma's Meatloaf

Tried and True, this recipe was passed down to me from my maternal Grandmother. It is the meatloaf that she used to serve for Sunday dinner and has been a favorite of our family for as long as I can remember! Grandma always served it with scalloped potatoes and creamed corn. Try it with your favorite salad and vegetable side dishes.

Category: Main Dish

Cuisine: American-South

96 reviews 
Ready in 2 hours

part of Father's Day Ideas collection

by sgrishka

Ingredients

(optional)

1/4 cup Chili sauce or ketchup

2 tablespoons Apple cider vinegar

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 dash Hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons Brown sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 large Onion finely chopped (about 1 cup)

1 can (6 oz) Tomato paste

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/3 cup Milk (scant)

2 pounds Ground beef (preferably 85 percent lean ground chuck)

2 large Eggs lightly beaten

16 Saltine crackers finely crushed (about 2/3 cup)

1/4 cup fresh parsley Minced

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt (or, to taste)

1/4 teaspoon Fresh ground black pepper (or, to taste)


Directions

For the glaze: 1) In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and brown sugar. Set aside. (Note: You may double (or more) the glaze, if desired. Also, a second batch of glaze, simmered over medium-low heat until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes, is good to serve separately with the meatloaf.) For the meatloaf: 1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2) In a medium skillet, saute onions in olive oil until just translucent, about 5 minutes. Let cool. 3) In a large bowl, mix together onion, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and milk until well combined. 4) Add ground beef, eggs, crushed crackers, parsley, salt and pepper. Mix with fork until evenly blended and mixture doesn't stick to the bowl. If it sticks add more milk. (Note: Handle meat gently; it should be thoroughly combined but not made into a mushy paste.) 5) With wet hands, pat mixture into a greased 9- by 5- by 3-inch loaf pan. Line loaf pan with parchment paper or foil for easy clean up, if desired 6) Brush with glaze, if desired. 7) Place in center of preheated oven and bake, uncovered, until cooked through and a thermometer inserted into center registers 160 degrees F, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. 8) Drain any excess fat, and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Reviews


marybethbanish1

Love the moistness of this meatloaf. Use a BIG pan. It puts off a lot of juice when cooking! I prefer ketchup to the sweet sauce on the side. but using it as a topper for baking is amazing! thanks for the recipe!

Scruz1228

good

Dahenry

This is the only meatloaf recipe I'll ever make! So delicious. I do add a packet of onion soup mix to the breadcrumbs as I like the flavor it adds.

zina_ludvich

It was alright. Wouldn't say it was the best that I made, but it wasn't bad. My wife didn't really care for it, but said that it was edible.

scootersweb

See all 96 reviews »

Review this recipe »

Related Recipes

Get the BigOven app!

Find any recipe, add your own, make grocery lists easily from recipes. Enter any 3 ingredients and BigOven will tell you what you can make. It's free! (4.5/5 stars)