Your best meat loaf recipe please

Google Betty Crockers original meatloaf recipe it's fabulous. Then try mixing some brown sugar with ketchup for basting the loaf during the last 30 minutes of baking.

Thanks, Vintagegirl. It’s on my list to try soon.

As for adding breadcrumbs, it depends!...... on how many mouths to feed. But a few handfulls or half a cup? I think they also help bring together the mince meat and make it less crumbley.

What quantity of breadcrumbs to a pound of minced beef, or beef and pork, please?

My Granny used to make her meatloaf in a ceramic tube shaped pot. The top was tied off with greaseproof paper and string and then placed in a pan of boiling water for what seemed like hours. Was very tasty.

My Mum's recipe was the same as many above (minced beef and Bacon) with one difference - She made dents in the top and gently added raw eggs into the dents half way through cooking. This was usually served cold with a salad of lettuce, tomato and hard boiled egg.

When the children were home, I used to make an Italian meat loaf, but for the life of me I can’t remember the recipe, but as well as beef steak mince I’m sure it had cheese in it.

Always served it with salad and mashed potato.

….regarding meatloaf , you have to get in there with your hands and squidge those ingredients.

The Meatloaf recipe from Delia Smiths’ Complete Cookery Course ( big black book, falling to bits in our house) - was the first one I made and it was delicious 😋 it in the back in the left -over suggestions I think.
Great served hot with pasta and Delia’s Tomato Sauce

Meat loaf is nice hot , but absolutely delicious served cold at a picnic .

I've thought of making one flavoured with curry powder and served with some mango chutney and a cucumber raita .

I made this but added a packet of bacon and a couple of sausages ground up with the meat. It was lovely but we missed the taste of ham that we remembered so more ham next time . Meat loaf is a Scottish staple . Grannies used to go to the butcher and ask him to mince the beef and ham together but always though the butcher cheated and did not use his best beef . I think I did not use enough breadcrumbs as , despite pressing the mixture well down , it was a tad crumbly .

Thanks so much. Yep, cooked this today and, with a nice gravy, made a lovely meal with home-picked beans, tomatoes and new spuds!

I have recipe with minced lamb and add in some gluten free breadcrumbs, fine chopped red onions, garlic, whole grain mustard and tomato ketchup. Bake in a loaf tin.

I alway found meatloaf to be bland until I saw the Hairy Bikers Mississippi meatloaf wow full of flavour tasty gravy lovely during the winter and if there is only two of you you could freeze half of it.

GrandtanteJean sorry, I missed your post, which looks similar to mine, and was cooked in the same way.

My mother used to send me to the butcher to get 1lb shoulder steak minced with half a pound of Belfast Ham. Then I think she only added an egg and breadcrumbs, and salt and pepper, obviously.

Treetops05
I’ve never heard of meatloaf being encased in pastry. There is so much fat that comes out in baking! This is not a beef Wellington endeavor, but if it works for you, then I’m sure someone else will try it. Be wary of fat content of your beef then. (You need some fat for flavor.)
Nanna2
When you make your next meatloaf, try cold sliced meatloaf sandwiches, using horseradish sauce and rye bread (my favorite!) Great for lunches.

Mince half a pound of beef mince with a quarter pound of ham and an onion to a very fine consistency,

Mix it with an egg, salt and pepper to taste, a spoonful of ordinary flour and a little water.

Put it in a well-greased stone jar (for preserves) or a casserole and cook it for 45 minutes or a little longer. The casserole or jar should be placed in a pot with boiling water that reaches half-way up the side of the casserole or jar, which should be covered with a lid or with greaseproof paper while cooking.

If the pot is sufficiently large, you can add peeled potatoes and carrots to the boiling water and cook them in the same pot as the meat-loaf for the last half-hour of its cooking time.

This is my Aunt Isa's recipe. I never dared ask her how old she was, but she was probably about the same age as my grandmothers, so born sometime around 1880.

Pressed the wrong button!

Roll out pastry to an oval shape, large enough to go around the meat mix.
Shape the meat to an oval or hedgehog shape and wrap in pastry. Egg wash

Bake until done I suspect 40-50 minutes. Mum just cooked it till she smelt burning. I loved this as the pastry went pink inside ;)

My mum's was:
1 pack minced beef,
1 pack sausage meat
1 onion
1 cup tomato ketchup
Italian herbs
1 make of shortcrust pastry

Fry the onions, put in bowl with all ingredients except pastry and mix.

Yes sheperds pie is a fave of myself and one of the sons.😋

Thanks for reminder- have'nt had meatloaf for years! Used to make it myself, very tasty.But when my older kids grew and got their own homes, the younger 2 were'nt keen (picky) so no point doing just for me.Might reprise it, and freeze any unused 🤔😋

I've only made meat loaf once, to an American recipe. I think it was a pretty standard mix - meat, breadcrumbs, egg, tomato ketchup, onion, garlic, seasoning, all squidged together and then baked. I subbed GF breadcrumbs, and barbecue sauce for the ketchup, and it was delicious and I should make it again.

Instead of breadcrumbs, my recipe uses butter biscuit crumbs. This ( a biscuit a little like a thin savoury shortbread ) might just be a Scottish thing.

polnan - you have missed out for sure if you’ve never had a meat loaf. So easy to make. One thing I Never do is add oatmeal! Oats do not make it moist, I only use seasoned bread crumbs to hold things together. Ground pork is used for flavor and moisture.

You serve it with whatever potato you like - mashed, scalloped, baked, au gratin. Serve veggies on the side, not inside loaf.
I make Shepherd’s Pie all the time. Love it.