Must-Try Meatloaf Recipes

Recipe: Italian Turkey Meatloaves

It's always great to double-down on a great-tasting meatloaf, and this recipe is sized so you can plan ahead for leftovers. This meal is for the person in your home we call the Sunday Strategist: They bake two meatloaves on Sunday, then serve one, and use the other for two weeknight meals. Turkey is a great lean meat for meatloaves, and it flavors and seasons well. One of the great tastes in this recipe is basil pesto, which brings its rich, full flavors to the fore. You'll also love the salty bite of Parmesan cheese, and the tender taste of baked, sliced mushrooms. The best part is that you can enjoy this meal again later in the week—and leftovers make any meal delicious.

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. Mixing in cheddar cheese also gives this meatloaf more bite, so be prepared for mouthwatering sensations. Make a tasty meatloaf sandwich, or serve a slice alongside Tex-Mex Mashers.

Recipe: Meatloaf-and-Mashed Potato Sandwiches

This meatloaf begins with unexpected flavor: the great tastes of ground pork. Have your butcher grind a pork shoulder roast, and you'll have the foundation of a sandwich with a taste you could have only imagined. You'll be slathering this with Tomato-Bacon Gravy, so be prepared for a sandwich that is extra-saucy and rich. The grilled bread slices will soak it all up, and since they're toasted, they will give this sandwich a great bite and crunch. If you'd prefer to settle in around the table, this meatloaf and gravy tastes equally as good served as a traditional plated dinner with the potatoes on the side.

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.

• Recipe:Open-Faced Meatloaf Sandwiches
• This sandwich is described by its creator and chef as a sandwich with an almost ‘breakfast-for-supper' feel. It has everything you'd ever want in a morning meal, and more, including that goes-with-everything Southern favorite: bacon. Toss in your choice of a favorite Southern beverage—bourbon or cola—and the tastes are subtle but sensational. Add a little of your favorite Southern mayonnaise to the toasted bread, and these sandwiches will be ready to go. All the flavor combinations in these meatloaf sandwiches meld nicely, and the over-easy egg topping each sandwich really complements the gravy.

• 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.

• Recipe:Herb-and-Veggie Meatloaf
• This herb-and-veggie meatloaf is filled with the great taste of chopped spinach and the rich taste of garlic-and-herb tomato sauce. You can shorten your prep time by using jarred minced garlic and pre-shredded carrots, which you can also use in our Salad with Red Grapefruit-Lemon Vinaigrette. Pair this meatloaf with your favorite refrigerated or frozen mashed potatoes prepared with reduced-fat milk. If you want to make this delicious meatloaf with less fat, substitute lean ground turkey for the beef and pork, and then proceed with the recipe as directed. You'll still get the same great taste but with less fat.

• Recipe:French Market Meat Loaf
• You'll be ready to let the good times roll when you make this recipe. It blends diced Cajun sausage with rich ground beef, creating a spicy take on the standard meatloaf. Once you add in a little fresh garlic, and some oregano, pepper, and thyme, you have the foundation for a bayou beef-and-sauce version of the comfort food staple. It will take around an hour for this meatloaf to be ready, so you'll have plenty of time to make a batch of our Tomato Gravy. This will add a spoonful of richness to each serving, so be generous with it over every thick slice.

• Recipe:Basil-Tomato Meatloaf Sandwich
• As any Southerner will tell you, mayonnaise is not just mayonnaise—every one has a unique flavor, and every one is rich and delicious. So, you can only imagine the flavor boost you get when you stir fresh basil into mayonnaise. If you are uncomfortable chopping the basil, snip it with scissors or chop it in a mini-processor. Because the meatloaf slices are not very wide, it takes two to cover a slice of bread. Toss on some crunchy, fresh iceberg lettuce, and some plum tomatoes, and then get ready for that first bite. This is what meat and bread is all about.

• Recipe:Better-for-You Turkey Meatloaf
• This Better-for-You Turkey Meatloaf really does taste good and is good for you. Using lean ground turkey helps make this a healthier version of this classic comfort food. Skip the breadcrumbs: This recipe uses just under a cup of quick-cooking oats. You'll love their flavor and texture. Better yet, you'll love the taste and tang of Worcestershire sauce and yellow mustard—almost as much as you'll love the taste of stewed tomatoes with a their light, brown sugar glaze fresh out of the oven. Serve it on a sandwich with chips for a quick meal on the go, or with veggies on the side.

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.

Watch: How To Make Old-fahsioned Meatloaf

• Recipe:Beef-and-Sausage Meatloaf
• Meatloaf gets a makeover with this meal! A pound of ground sirloin and a pound of ground pork sausage are gently blended together into a medley of flavor. You can substitute ground chuck or lean ground beef if you prefer. A sleeve of crushed crackers, some tomato sauce, and a bell pepper are almost all the remaining ingredients it takes to make this flavor sensation. This recipe is for two meatloaves, so you can plan to have one and put one away for a quick-fix supper. Serve this great-tasting Beef-and-Sausage Meatloaf on cheese toast with a chunky red sauce and top it off with fresh mozzarella.

• Recipe:Meatloaf With Green Chile-Tomato Gravy
• Sometimes the side dishes are the stars, and in this meatloaf the green chile-tomato gravy takes everything to the next level. Ground chuck makes this straightforward meatloaf taste great. Next, this quick and easy recipe shows how a sauce can make all the difference. A can of diced tomatoes with green chiles is mixed with a little butter, some flour, some ketchup, and some butter or margarine. What results is—as they say—definitely worth more than the sum of its parts. This is a taste sensation. Spoon it onto your meatloaf for some spicy green chile zest in every bite.

• Recipe:Cheeseburger Meatloaf
• Two all-American meals come together with Cheddar cheese in this recipe. It looks like a meatloaf, but tastes like a burger, and what could possibly be better than that? The beef is spiced with a dash of Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of both garlic salt and dry mustard. Once the meatloaf comes fresh and hot out of the oven, slices of Cheddar cheese are cut and arranged over the top. The dish also gets a kick from chili sauce. And yes, you can eat this Cheeseburger Meatloaf with any soda you like.

• Recipe:Lamb Meatloaf with Feta Cheese
• This meatloaf is incredibly rich and savory. Rather than use the traditional ground beef, this meatloaf is made with lean ground lamb, and spiced with fresh garlic. Crumbly feta cheese then gets sandwiched between the lamb layers. This meatloaf also boasts the savory flavors of toasted pine nuts, dried basil, rosemary, and fresh parsley. Because it is lamb, it will take a little longer than ground beef to cook—this recipe bakes for just around an hour-and-a-half. Once it's done, and smothered in a rich, red sauce, serve it with crunchy, toasted pita bread. You'll love the savory tastes of this Mediterranean-inspired Lamb Meat Loaf with Feta Cheese.