Meatloaf Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan or line it with parchment. Alternatively, you can shape the loaf on a rimmed baking sheet.

Soak breadcrumbs

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs and milk. Stir and let sit 3–5 minutes until the crumbs absorb the milk.

Cook aromatics (optional)

Heat 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook 4–5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds until fragrant. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Mix meatloaf

In a large bowl, add ground beef, ground pork, soaked breadcrumbs (including any unabsorbed milk), cooked onion and garlic, egg, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, chopped parsley, salt and pepper. Using clean hands or a spatula, gently combine ingredients just until evenly mixed — avoid overworking to keep the loaf tender.

Form in pan

Transfer mixture to the prepared loaf pan and press gently to an even shape. Smooth the top with a spatula. If baking on a sheet, shape into a 9x5-inch loaf and make a shallow indent along the top to help even cooking.

Add glaze (if using tomato gravy option)

If using the Tomato Glaze, spread the ketchup-brown sugar mixture evenly over the top of the raw loaf (see Tomato Glaze section for recipe).

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 50–60 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 155–160°F (68–71°C). If you used glaze, some glaze may darken; tent with foil if browning too quickly after 30–35 minutes.

Rest

Remove meatloaf from oven and let rest in the pan for 10–15 minutes. This allows juices to redistribute and makes slicing neater. Carefully transfer to a serving platter or slice in the pan.

Make glaze while loaf bakes or before glazing. In a small bowl, whisk together ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Use immediately to top raw loaf before baking (see meatloaf Directions). Reserve any extra glaze to serve alongside or warm slightly to spoon over sliced loaf.

Make pan juices (optional)

After the meatloaf rests, if there are pan drippings, transfer them to a measuring cup and skim off excess fat, reserving about 1 tablespoon fat for gravy. If you have no drippings, use butter as below.

Start roux

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the 2 tablespoons butter. Whisk in the 2 tablespoons flour and cook, whisking constantly, 1.5–2 minutes until it turns a light golden brown and loses a raw flour smell.

Finish gravy

Gradually whisk in the 1.5 cups beef broth, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Add 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce (optional). Bring to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly, until the gravy thickens, about 3–5 minutes. Taste and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper or to taste. If too thick, whisk in up to 2 tablespoons additional broth or water.

Serve

Strain gravy through a fine mesh sieve if desired for extra-smooth texture. Spoon warm gravy over sliced meatloaf just before serving.

Slice meatloaf into 6–8 slices. Spoon your chosen gravy (tomato glaze warmed or brown gravy) over slices and sprinkle with chopped parsley.