Meatloaf can be absolutely delicious or completely blah. To me, it’s classic comfort food, super quick to put together and if you use the right ingredients, a healthy and delicious dish for your family. It’s flexible, versatile and you can change up ingredients at will. This recipe makes a large, super moist and tender meatloaf. My husband has never been a big meatloaf fan but he literally devours this when I serve it!

Everyone has their own special touches and ingredients they love and because meatloaf is so versatile, you really can change it up  and it won’t hurt a thing. Instead of bread crumbs I’ve always used whole oats as a binder which makes my recipe Gluten Free! I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Rolled Oats and they work great!

My recipe is full of flavor, tender and is quick to put together. It also freezes well, just slice into serving pieces and wrap each piece in plastic wrap. Put them all in a freezer bag and you can pull out a slice anytime the urge for a yummy meatloaf sandwich hits!

Glazed and ready for the oven. I use a 2 piece broiler pan to cook my meatloaf. Wrap the top piece  in foil,  the one with the slits,then poke holes through the foil into the slits so the fat can drain.

Perfect Meatloaf

Meatloaf

Kate Battistelli

Meatloaf doesn't have to be boring! This recipe is moist, meaty and loaded with flavor. It's versatile so you can add your favorite ingredients to make it your own!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 45 minutes mins

Course Main dish

Servings 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

  

• 2 Tablespoons coconut oil
• 2 cups onion chopped small
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 2 organic eggs
• 2 pounds organic grass-fed beef
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup organic milk or beef broth if you're dairy free
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon dijon or grainy mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
• 2 carrots grated
• 1/4 cup organic ketchup
• a few dashes of hot sauce
• Glaze
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons coconut or brown sugar
• 1/2 cup organic ketchup or barbecue sauce

Instructions

 

• Soak the oats in the milk while you prepare the rest of the meatloaf.
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions and garlic over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until softened.
• Put the ground beef in a large bowl. Add the eggs, worcestershire sauce, mustard, thyme, parsley, carrots, ketchup and hot sauce. Add the onion and garlic mixture and the oats.
• Mix all the ingredients together (I do this with my hands as it seems to work the best) but don't overmix, just until blended.
• In a small bowl, mix the glaze ingredients together.
• If your oven has a 2 piece broiler pan, take the top piece-the one with the slits-and cover it with foil. Poke holes through the foil so the fat can drain off to the piece below. Butter or oil the foil well.
• You can also cook this in a loaf pan. Cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours at 350.
• Form the meatloaf into a large loaf on top of the foil lined piece. I make mine into an oval. Like a big meatloaf football!
• Brush meatloaf with 2/3 of the glaze.
• Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with remaining glaze.
• Let rest for about 15 minutes before slicing to firm it up a bit and make slicing easier.

Kate’s Tips

• Meatloaf lets you be creative and flexible. For example, I don’t like green pepper (or should I say green pepper doesn’t like me!) so I don’t use it. But you are free to add it if you like. Really, almost any veggie can go in meatloaf. You could try mushrooms, celery, zucchini, spinach, whatever you like!
• Go ahead and use beef, pork and veal if you have it.
• Add some cheese to this recipe if you like. I’m thinking around 1 cup of grated parmesan or cheddar.
• If you want to use breadcrumbs that’s perfectly fine. Or even 6 slices of bread, just soak them in the milk first.
• If you have some good bacon, instead of the glaze, you can lay several slices atop your meatloaf.
• I’ve made this before using my meatball recipe, which turns it into an incredible Italian meatloaf!
• Another fun way to make this, especially for kids, is to scoop your meatloaf mixture into greased muffin tins for fun little meatloaf muffins! Or, try my Cheesy Bacon Burger Bites or Chicken Sliders for kid approved meals!

I served my Moist and Meaty Meatloaf with roast potatoes and a big green salad.

What ingredients would you add or leave out?