Classic Meatloaf

Tender and juicy thanks to a milk-soaked bread panade, finished with a tangy brown-sugar ketchup glaze.

Prep

15 min

Cook

1 hr 5 min

Total

1 hr 20 min

Yield

6 servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices white sandwich bread, torn
⅔ cup whole milk
2 large eggs
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 lb ground beef (85% lean)
For the glaze:
⅔ cup ketchup
2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 5 minutes, add the garlic for 1 minute, then let cool.
Soak the bread in the milk in a large bowl for 5 minutes, then mash into a paste.
Add the eggs, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, thyme, parsley and the cooled onion. Mix well.
Add the beef and mix gently with your hands until just combined. Shape into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on the baking sheet.
Stir the glaze ingredients together and brush half over the loaf. Bake 45 minutes.
Brush with the remaining glaze and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the center reaches 160°F (71°C). Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Kitchen note

Baking the loaf free-form on a sheet, not in a loaf pan, lets the fat drain away and gives you glazed, caramelized sides.

Where it comes from

Meatloaf stretched meat through the Great Depression and became a Midwestern weeknight standard.