11 Must-Try Meatloaf Recipes
If you're searching for meatloaf recipes, you must already love them. And why not? Far beyond the bland, tomato paste-covered cafeteria fare of grade school days, a juicy and savory meatloaf is comfort food at its best. This meatloaf recipe collection will inspire you to step out of the box and try different ingredients to take the classic weeknight meal to another level. Our Turkey Meatloaf uses lean ground turkey and turkey sausage for a healthier spin on the classic, while our Slow Cooker Tomato-Basil Meatloaf is dressy enough for guests. For a perfectly portioned family dinner, try our Muffin Tin Meatloaves. If you are looking for the classic meatloaf complete with ketchup topping, you will want to try the top-rated Old Fashioned Meatloaf.
Few foods are as simultaneously loved and derided as the humble meatloaf. If your family groans when meatloaf night comes around, they might just be clamoring for a new version. These recipes will mix it up while still delivering the dish's original promise: a hot dinner followed by opportunities for really yummy leftover sandwiches.
Southwestern Meatloaf
Recipe: Southwestern Meatloaf
This meatloaf begins southwestern-style by using crushed whole grain tortilla chips instead of plain breadcrumbs to for extra taste, and to help it hold its shape as it bakes. We love chipotle salsa for its medium heat and smoky notes, but any salsa and heat level will give the meatloaf fantastic south-of-the-border flavor. The best part is that some of this salsa is mixed in, while the rest is saved so you can bake it on top.Â
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Pepper Relish Mini Meatloaves
Recipe: Pepper Relish Mini Meatloaves
Hot pepper relish is a Southern delicacy, and it is also a great way to bring a little heat and add a little glaze to a hot-and-fresh meatloaf. This recipe turns the typical meatloaf into eight bite-size delights, making them in a mini-loaf pan. This gives every loaf a great crust, and a juicy, tender center. We amp up the heat just a little more with some spicy-hot vegetable juice, but it is tempered by the sweet taste of fresh basil sprinkled on top. If you'd prefer, you can simply spoon on a little more hot relish—if you relish the idea.
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Bev's Famous Meatloaf
Recipe: Bev's Famous Meatloaf
You'll understand why this recipe is called Bev's Famous Meatloaf from the moment you have your first bite. This home-style meatloaf recipe is a delicious combination of two meats, featuring both ground beef and ground pork sausage. It is also filled with green bell pepper and onion, and has a sweet tomato topping. You'll be surprised to leave the breadcrumbs on the shelf, because this tasty treat uses crushed saltine crackers as part of its mouthwatering mix. Bev's Famous Meatloaf is a study in savory simplicity. Serve this with mashed potatoes and green peas to round out a classic meal.
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Old-fashioned Meatloaf
Recipe: Old-fashioned Meatloaf
This may be old-fashioned in name, but there is nothing old-fashioned about the fantastic flavor of this classic meatloaf recipe. It begins with two pounds of lean ground beef, and just gets better from there. Then, this Southern meatloaf recipe adds in Creole and Greek seasonings, just a hint of garlic, and some rich tomato paste. A few tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce spice up the traditional ketchup topping. The most old-fashioned thing about this meatloaf is letting it stand for 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven—we know you'd prefer to simply dig in.
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Slow Cooker Tomato-Basil Meatloaf
Recipe: Slow Cooker Tomato-Basil Meatloaf
We gussied-up the flavor but made the method even easier with this slow-cooker meatloaf recipe.
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Sheet Pan Meatloaf
Recipe: Sheet Pan Meatloaf
Our Test Kitchen called this new dinner classic "a home run of a recipe," and we have a feeling you'll agree.
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Turkey Meatloaf
Recipe: Turkey Meatloaf
Because this lightened-up meatloaf recipe includes ground turkey and turkey sausage, it doesn't slack on flavor.
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Instant Pot Meatloaf
Recipe: Instant Pot Meatloaf
We love finding out old classics that we can rethink with the use of new kitchen tools like the Instant Pot, and this recipe was a hit with Southern Living Test Kitchen pro Ivy Odom and her mama, who tried it out for us.
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Muffin Tin Meatloaf
Recipe: Muffin Tin Meatloaf
Instead of slicing meatloaf and having the kids fight over who got the bigger piece, serve pre-portioned muffin tin meatloaves for an easy, adorable supper.
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Meatloaf Casserole
Recipe: Meatloaf Casserole
We reimagined Shepherd's Pie with a Southern twist: Meatloaf Casserole. This is just the cozy dinner your family needs on cold winter nights.
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Easy Boarding House Meatloaf
Recipe: Easy Boarding House Meatloaf
This meatloaf recipe stands above others for one reason—the sauce! It leaves behind plain ketchup for a dressed-up version that adds so much flavor.