This meatloaf recipe is easy, kid friendly and a meal that my whole family enjoys! I hope your family will like it as much as mine does! 😊
When I cook, I’m usually an eyeballer. I don’t like to measure things. I just throw stuff in! Having this blog has changed that for me, though! How can I share my recipes with all of you wonderful people if I can’t remember what (or how much of something) I put into them? So this time, I actually measured!!!
I’m so glad that I took the time to write down my recipe for this, because it was the BEST MEATLOAF I have ever eaten!!! Now, as a disclaimer I will tell you… I made this meatloaf with beef that came from my husband’s grandfather’s cow, and that cow was really fatty!!! That may have played a factor in how moist the meatloaf was after cooking, so just keep that in mind, but the flavors would be just as good either way!
An important tip for making meatloaf is that you don’t want to overwork your meat. That means that you want to stop mixing as soon as the ingredients are pretty well incorporated. Over-mixing your meat can cause your meatloaf to turn out very dense.
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Another tip for getting your meatloaf just right is to always use a meat thermometer. Ovens temperatures can vary from unit to unit, so it is important that you don’t necessarily go by the times and temperatures in recipes. Use a good quality meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat in the thickest part to make sure your meat is cooked appropriately. I really like this one because it is really user friendly and tells you what your goal temperature should be for each different type of meat. There is also a magnet on the back so you can just stick it to the OUTSIDE of the oven door for convenience.
*TIP: Set the meat thermometer about 5 or 10 degrees below your goal temperature. Believe it or not, the internal temperature of your meat will actually continue to climb AFTER you remove it from the oven! Just leave the meat thermometer in place to be sure that your food reaches a safe temperature before consuming it.
This recipe calls for oats and Italian seasoning. I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free quick cooking oats, but standard oats will work just the same if you don’t need them to be gluten free. I also recommend McCormick Italian seasoning. To me, McCormick spices just have the best flavor of any of the spices I’ve tried.
One last tip… I use an AMAZING shortcut when it comes to my garlic! I actually freeze it in ice cube trays in large batches so that when it’s time to cook, I just plop an ice cube of garlic right in!
For this recipe, I microwaved the garlic cubes on medium power to melt them so that I could mix the garlic into the meatloaf before cooking. Find the full recipe below.
I LOVE to hear from my readers! Send me a line at [email protected] and let me know what you think. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!!! God bless!
My Family’s Favorite Meatloaf
Super flavorful and moist! This meatloaf passed the “picky eaters” test with flying colors!
- 2 lbs. ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 egg
- 1/2 Tbsp. garlic, minced (If using my frozen garlic method {see post for details} use 2 cubes)
- 1/2 cup oats, quick cooking
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (I use McCormick)
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, and use your hands to mix just until ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not over-mix!
- Pour contents of bowl into a GREASED casserole dish.
- Insert meat thermometer into the center of the loaf in the thickest part, and cover casserole dish with a lid.
- Bake at 400 degrees for about 50 minutes or until the meatloaf is cooked all the way through. Use your thermometer to be safe!
*Remember that your food will continue to increase in temperature for the first few minutes after you take it out of the oven, so it is ok to take it out a little shy of your goal temperature. Just be sure that it comes to a safe temperature before eating it!!!