Mom’s Meatloaf Recipe with a delicious glaze

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I’m not much of a cook. I’d say I’m more of a baker and that’s stretching it. For the last 6 months, my kids started coming over once a week for family dinner, so I’ve been trying different recipes, some new and some old. My Mom’s Meatloaf Recipe is always a hit.

I’m not sure where this recipe came from so I searched online. I want to give credit where credit is due. There wasn’t an exact match although a few were close. Mine is a derivative of my mother’s and I think she got it from another relative. There are a few differences with my meatloaf recipe. My mom used crackers where I use bread crumbs. I use red onion instead of yellow or white because it’s prettier.

So, What’s in the Meatloaf Recipe?

ingredients meatloaf

I remember My Granny would throw all sorts of things in hers and when I asked her, she said, “By adding all the extras, I can make it go farther.” My mom grew up in rural Oklahoma and was the baby of 16 kids. Needless to say, my Granny was always trying to make things “go farther.” I won’t tell you her response to the question about why she had so many kids.

Alright, so what do you need?

Loaf:

1 ½ lb. of ground beef
¼ c onion, chopped, red
1 c bell pepper, green
1 c bread crumbs
¼ c ketchup
1 egg
¾ C Milk
1 T Worcestershire
1/8 t Garlic powder
½ t Salt
¼ t Pepper

Now the glaze. Some people will just add ketchup but you have to try this glaze. It really makes it special.
Glaze:
¼ c ketchup
¼ c brown sugar
1 T mustard

My Family Cookbook

Better Homes & Garden cookbook

Still curious about where this meatloaf recipe came from, I dug out my old Better Homes and Garden’s Cookbook that my Aunt passed down to me in 1982. The copyright date is 1949. A few years later, I upgraded to a newer version. I still refer to both versions from time to time.

In the 1949 cookbook, it states to soak breadcrumbs in milk then add extra ingredients. This makes sense to expand the breadcrumbs. The 1981 version says to combine milk and eggs together then breadcrumbs,  add seasonings, then add the meat last.

I’ve always started with the meat and just thrown everything on top and mixed it by hand. It also says not to over mix. This will make the loaf dense. Who knew!? I just mix until everything is evenly distributed. I don’t think it’s ever been dense. At least no one’s complained.

Both meatloaf recipes call for onion and the older version has parsley and celery. I haven’t made either of these versions.

finished meatloaf

I absolutely love this old cookbook. Many family meals have been made from it over the last 70 years. In addition to recipes, it talks about nutrition, meal planning, stain removal, canning, table setting, and setting up your kitchen. I would say it’s a homemaker’s guide as much as a cookbook.

There are a couple of statements that really stood out to me:

~ Food makes fat – it’s as simple as that. Eat more than your body requires and it’s stored as fat. 

~ When mealtime is invested with charm, simplicity, and orderliness, the most pretentious meal becomes an enjoyable experience. Such meals lend a special something to the happiness of your family. 

~ Every time you set a table you create a picture. 

And my favorite:

~ Ashtrays are brought in after the dessert and coffee are served. 

It’s amazing how times have changed. I don’t know how many of these old versions are still in print but if you can find one, I’d highly recommend it. A little history lesson and very nostalgic.

As many of you know, I love simple recipes with 10 ingredients or less – this one is pushing the limit (but I don’t really consider salt & pepper a true ingredient – although they are equally important). The original recipe is just 8 ingredients. For those of you that just wing it, you could really make it your own by changing up the seasonings and using different “extras.”

Add Dessert

Apple Crisp dessert perfect with Meatloaf

If you want to finish up with a dessert, this simple recipe from my friend Tracy at clelandclan.com for an Amazing Apple Crisp would make the perfect addition to this meal.

Another good dessert option is Southern Banana Pudding.

Give it a try! Let me know how it turns out.

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Mom’s Meatloaf

classic meatloaf recipe with 10ish ingredients
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 6

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs Ground Beef
  • 1/4 cup Onion chopped
  • 1 cup Bell Pepper green
  • 1 cup Bread Crumbs
  • 1/4 cup Ketchup
  • 1 Egg
  • 3/4 cup Milk
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper

Instructions

  • Combine Milk and Egg
    milk & eggs mealtloaf recipe
  • Stir in Breadcrumbs
  • Add onion and bell pepper
    bell pepper onion meatloaf recipe
  • Stir in Worcestershire, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ketchup
  • Add meat; mix well by hand
    meatloaf
  • Pat into loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 50 minutes
Print

Glaze

Glaze for Meatloaf

Ingredients

  • 1/4 Cup Ketchup
  • 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
  • 1 T Mustard

Instructions

  • Mix all ingredients together. Spread on top of meatloaf and bake additional 10 minutes.

This post contains affiliate links. I earn money if you purchase from the links at no additional cost to you. 

I thought I’d look on Amazon for the cookbook and was surprised that there were a few listed. This on’es 1965.

My mother-in-law gave me this meatloaf pan a few years ago. What a Game Changer! It lifts the meatloaf out of the pan leaving the fat behind for easy disposal and a quick clean up.

Published by carol

37 Replies to “Mom’s Meatloaf Recipe with a delicious glaze”

  1. I have both the old and new of these cookbooks! Such treasures they are! I just ordered a meatloaf pan through your affiliate link..except I got a copper one!

    1. I really treasure these cookbooks. I absolutely love the meatloaf pan! Hope you do too.

  2. Your meatloaf recipe looks delicious! My Mom would like this too 🙂

  3. I’m going to have to give this glaze a try! Your meatloaf recipe is so different from mine and it is fun to read what others do. I had never considered adding green peppers into it. I’ve always used onions and mushrooms, along with a bit of chopped garlic. My buddy and my husband now demand that I wrap it in bacon. That’s become my latest addition.

    1. I love how different parts of the country put different things in the meatloaf. Makes each recipe unique. I made a bacon cheeseburger meatloaf that I really liked but husband wants this one every time!

  4. Meatloaf seems a wonderful dish. We have never tried it at our home.We would try making this in the weekend with mutton instead of beef.

  5. Your meatloaf recipe sounds delicious! Meatloaf is just such an easy main dish–I usually make two at a time and freeze one for a busy night. Speaking about cookbooks, I received a Better Homes and Gardens New Junior Cookbook for my 12th birthday many years ago and still use some of the recipes in it.

  6. I’m not a meat lover, yet I am impressed with the fact that your recipe smells family history. And I agree with the statement that when we are setting the table, we are creating a picture. Just think of the food colours, the different shapes, the various combinations on the table.

  8. Growing up my mom never made meatloaf, it wasn’t part of our cultural foods. Now as an adult, I love eating meatloaf and want to try to make my own one day!

  9. My son is sitting beside me reading this and he said “Daddy let’s make meatloaf for mummy”.
    That’s how easy your recipe was for two daring men to want to try it out for Chef Mummy.

    1. Oh my goodness! I hope you give it a try. My daughter use to help me make it when she was younger. She loved to crack the egg and mix everything by hand.

    1. Let me know how you like it! I may have to make it this weekend also.

  11. This recipe is very similar to the one I learned from my mom. She didn’t add this glaze, but I added on of ketchup and brown sugar that my family loves. I have never added mustard, though. I’ll be trying yours and see how it compares. And Tracy’s apple crisp will definitely add that finishing touch. Thank you for sharing.

    1. The mustard gives it just a little bit of a tangy taste. Next time I make meatloaf, I’m going to make Tracy’s apple crisp also!

  12. This meatloaf recipe looks delicious! I love how in your post you added tidbits from the historic cookbook. Wow, the days of ashtrays and coffee; happy we’ve progressed beyond that!

  13. I didn’t grow up eating Meatloaf, I actually never tried it until I was an adult. Even now, I don’t have it often. It’s something I never think of making but now I’m thinking we should have it this weekend.

  14. I am not much of a cook either 🙈 but will try out your meatloaf recipe because it looks damn delicious! 😍😋

    1. It’s a family favorite. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out.

  16. I Think it’s always good to revive old favourites or traditional dishes. It is so cool that you have (and still refer to) that 1949 cookbook and can compare the modern equivalent. There’s something about doing a dish like this that is classic and all the more enjoyable.

    1. I love the old cookbook. Every time I pick it up it’s like visiting with my Aunt or Grandmother.

  18. Meatloaf always reminds me of my childhood. Any meatloaf I ate had to have a crispy top to it. For whatever reason, I liked it better that way. And we used a brown gravy on top. This recipe sounds delicious and very easy to make which is perfect for me. We also own the Better Homes and Garden New Cookbook and refer to it all the time.

  19. This was truly enjoyable to read! First the name of your blog caught my attention because I called my mother “ChickaDee” or “Chickie”. Then, lo and behold, I read the meatloaf recipe, and it’s strikingly similiar to what my ChickaDee prepared for us – and what I in turn prepared for my kids; including the glaze! Thank you for the nostalgia!

  20. I love a good meatloaf! I always use turkey in place of beef. It seems I use a different recipe everytime I make it. The comments from the old cookbook are funny!! Thanks for sharing!

    1. Sometimes I’ll do half beef and half turkey. For those that don’t do beef, that’s a good option. I’ll have to add that.

  21. Oh my gosh…I remember my mom making it with that glaze too!!! My kids would never go for that but now that they are all grown and out of the house I will try it and see if my husband likes it.

    Thanks for the memories,
    Yvette
    Dishing About Food

    1. I love the glaze. I think it really makes the dish. Let me know how your husband likes it.

  22. My mama’s meatloaf is one of my favorite meals as well. I’m pretty sure she puts a lot of the same ingredients, plus a little more. This looks really good though. And I love that you included things from that old magazine. It is really cool to look back at how things were back then. Like certain things were just so normalized.

    1. I love the old cookbook. I’ll have to include more from it. Definitely, a blast from the past!

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