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Making one of America’s most loved recipes, homemade meatloaf, just became really easy. If you thought it was time-consuming, think again. Making this 4 ingredient meatloaf with Stove Top stuffing instead of having to use breadcrumbs and herbs is just a fabulous shortcut for the best meatloaf recipe ever. It comes out juicy, tender, and very flavorful.
The meatloaf ingredients used include one pound of ground beef, one box of Stove Top stuffing, one egg, and one cup of water. In fact, we could actually call it a 3 ingredient meatloaf if we don’t count the water! Italian Meatloafis a variation of this American classic with an Italian twist. Meatballs are another great way to use ground beef.
Here are some amazing recipes:Easy Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs, The Best Swedish Meatballs Recipe, andPorcupine Meatball Recipe.
How To Make Meatloaf
Making Of The Meatloaf:
- In a big bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, Stove Top stuffing, and water. Use your hands to make sure all ingredients are well-mixed and integrated.
- You can either press the mixture into a loaf pan or do as I did and free-form it into a loaf shape and place it on a baking dish or baking sheet.
- Bake it for one hour or until the meatloaf is fully cooked all the way through.
Making The Glaze:
- If you wish to add a glaze, use a small bowl to mix together the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder.
- Place the free-formed meatloaf in a baking dish or baking sheet, and brush the top and sides with the glaze.
- Cover the glazed meatloaf loosely with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove the foil and bake an additional 30 mins or until the meatloaf is cooked all the way through.
Meatloaf Sauce:
If you make glazed meatloaf, you don’t need to make an additional sauce. The glaze is made by mixing together two tablespoons of ketchup, two teaspoons of prepared mustard, two tablespoons of brown sugar, two teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce, and ¼ teaspoons of garlic and onion powders.
If you don’t choose to glaze your meatloaf and want to add a sauce, you can make a brown gravy by bringing 2 cups of beef broth to a boil, adding 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper.
To this, whisk in a slurry of ¼ cup water mixed with 3 tbsp cornstarch and cook until thickened.
How To Keep Meatloaf From Falling Apart?
First of all, that is why we add an egg. Eggs are the “glue” that holds all the ingredients together by binding them to each other.
Second, don’t slice the meatloaf immediately after taking it out of the oven. Let it rest for a few minutes before slicing. As the meatloaf cools down a bit, it holds its shape better.
Leftover Meatloaf?
If you have any leftovers, wait for them to cool down to room temperature and place them in an airtight container and into the fridge for up to 4 days or the freezer for up to 4 months.
If you are freezing your leftovers, remember to label them with the date, so you know by what date you have to consume them.
Check Out This Awesome, Italian Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef (I use 93% lean)
- 1 egg
- 1 box Stove Top Stuffing (your favorite flavor)
- 1 cup water
For the glaze (optional):
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons mustard
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a big bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, Stove Top stuffing, and water.
- Free-form the mixture into a loaf and place it on a baking dish. You can also use a loaf pan and press the meat mixture in the pan.
- If you wish to make the glazed crust, mix the ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl.
- Brush the glaze over the top and sides of the meatloaf. Loosely cover with foil and bake for 30 mins. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the meatloaf is fully cooked.
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 332Total Fat: 15gCarbohydrates: 46.5gProtein: 20g
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FAQs
The Basic Meatloaf Formula
All recipes for meatloaf start with the same basic formula: 2 pounds of ground meat and a “panade” made of bread or crackers soaked in milk. Along with a few eggs, this panade helps to hold the ground meat together and adds some essential moisture to the mix.
What is the secret to good meatloaf? ›
Use high-fat meat.
The leaner the meat, the dryer and grainier the meatloaf. For an all-beef meatloaf, always use a higher-fat cut, at least 15 percent. For a meatloaf made with a leaner beef or turkey, consider mixing in some ground pork and/or veal in order to achieve a moist, tender meatloaf.
What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart? ›
To help your meatloaf stay together add things such as eggs, bread, crushed croutons, oatmeal, crackers, and breadcrumbs, these are all key ingredients that help meat stick together. I hope that this helps to answer your question. What are the secrets to a firm, sliceable meatloaf that slices and won't fall apart?
What is the basic meatloaf formula with bread crumbs? ›
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef.
- 1/4 cup chili sauce or ketchup.
- 1 egg.
- 1/4 cup from 1 box Progresso™ Plain Bread Crumbs.
- 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves.
- 1/4 teaspoon onion salt.
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- 3 tablespoons chili sauce or ketchup, if desired.
Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat, and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.
Should you bake meatloaf covered or uncovered? ›
Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.
Why put ketchup in meatloaf? ›
More than a condiment
All Recipes explains that having a sweet element in your meatloaf like ketchup is critical to creating a delicious dish. The reason? It balances out the flavors.
Is it better to bake meatloaf on a sheet pan or loaf pan? ›
While both are great options for cooking your meatloaf, each has its own advantages and you will get slightly different results. Sheet pans have more surface area which exposes more of the dish's surface area to the oven's direct heat to create a crunchier crust that's nicely browned.
What happens if you put too many eggs in meatloaf? ›
Eggs bind the mixture, add flavor and increase browning, but too much egg will make a meat loaf tough and rubbery. Use about one egg per pound of meat. If using pork sausage, skip the egg. Milk adds flavor and moisture and helps distribute the seasoning throughout the mass.
How to make a Bobby Flay meatloaf? ›
directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. ...
- Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. ...
- Whisk together the remaining ketchup and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl then brush the mixture over the entire loaf.
- Bake the meatloaf for approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours.
Properly mixing a meatloaf prior to forming not only assures an evenness of flavor, but it also facilitates the linking of myosin in the meat, creating more of the protein network that will help to hold the slices together. However, overmixing can cause meatloaf to become springy, rubbery, and too dense.
How can you mess up meatloaf? ›
8 Common Mistakes That Will Leave You With Subpar Meatloaf
- You're Not Sufficiently Seasoning the Meat.
- You're Using Lean Meats.
- You're Not Adding a Sweet Component.
- You're Not Adding a Starch.
- You're Adding Raw Vegetables to the Meat.
- You're Slicing Into the Loaf Too Early.
- You're Not Doubling the Batch.
A neat trick to soak up the grease under your meatloaf is to line the bottom of the pan with bread slices. The bread soaks up the grease as the loaf bakes. When the meatloaf is done, you can either throw out the bread or bake it to make some truly indulgent toast.
What can I use instead of breadcrumbs in meatloaf? ›
What Can You Substitute Bread Crumbs in Meatloaf With?
- Rolled Oats: When it comes to breadcrumb substitutes, rolled oats are one of the leading contenders. ...
- Crushed Crackers: An equally viable alternative is crushed crackers.
No bells and whistles - just a few ingredients including beef, egg, bread crumbs and a simple tomato-based topping. Use a gentle touch with ground beef. Over-mixing will result in burgers, meatballs or meatloaves with a firm texture.
What is meatloaf mix made of? ›
You can often buy meatloaf mix at the store, but if you'd rather make your own, it's simple to do. The ratio of meatloaf mix is usually 1:1:1, meaning that you'll need equal parts ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal.
What is meatloaf typically made of? ›
The most common recipe nowadays consists of ground beef, carrots, sausages, boiled eggs and breadcrumbs, cooked in the oven and normally served with a side-dish of mashed potatoes or rice.
What is the best binder for meatloaf? ›
The most traditional meatloaf binder is probably torn up bread soaked in milk, but you can also use bread crumbs, Panko, dehydrated potato (instant mashed potatoes), or just about any other grain.
