This small-batch meatloaf is moist, tender, and has a wonderful old-fashioned flavor—an easy, classic recipe to make one of the best homemade comfort foods.
🐄Ingredients
Ground beef
Egg
Onion
Bread crumbs
Ketchup
Milk
Seasoning salt and black pepper
Jump To (scroll for more)
- 🐄Ingredients
- 👨🍳How to Make Meatloaf—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
- ⏰How Long to Cook Meatloaf
- 🐄Ingredient options and variations
- 📖Meatloaf Recipes
- ↕️How to make a meatloaf of any size
- 🤔How to make cupcake meatloaf
- 🧅Approximate yield of chopped onion using different onion sizes.
- 🍽️Serving meatloaf
- ❄️How to store leftover meatloaf
- ❓FAQs
- 👨🍳Recipe
Featured Comment by Catherine:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Great Recipe. I grew up making this and remember fondly my mother and grandmother making this. "
This versatile meatloaf recipe makes a one-pound meatloaf, but it can easily be scaled from a ½-pound mini meatloaf for two up to 2 pounds or larger to suit any needs.
While meatloaf was initially an economical way to stretch ground meat, it is a classic old-fashioned comfort food for my generation. We have enjoyed this basic recipe for over 40 years, but it has grown smaller recently. Please enjoy our best meatloaf.
👨🍳How to Make Meatloaf—Step-by-Step Photo Instructions
1. Chop the onion. Add all ingredients to a large bowl, minus the ketchup, for topping in a large bowl.
2. Mix well, ensuring not to leave any chunks of the burger.
3. Move to a prepared pan and form into a loaf.
4. Top with ketchup or other topping.
5. Place in the preheated 350° oven and cook to an internal temperature of 165° — about 30 to 40 minutes for a one-pound meatloaf or just over an hour for a two-pounder.
6. Remove the drainage or remove the meatloaf from the pan for serving and discard the drainage.
For more details, keep reading. See the Recipe Card below for complete instructions and to print.
⏰How Long to Cook Meatloaf
A 1-pound meatloaf baked in a 350° oven will take 40 to 50 minutes, while a 2-pound meatloaf will take about 1 hour. To be safe, the final internal temperature must be 165° (due to the eggs).
½ pound mini meatloaf will take about 30 to 40 minutes at 350°.
1-pound meatloaf will take about 40-50 minutes at 350°.
2-pound meatloaf will take about 1 to 1 ¼ hours at 350°.
3-pound meatloaf will take about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ hours at 350°.
These approximate cooking times assume a 350° oven and 1 to 1 ½ thick meatloaf. Thicker meatloaf takes longer to cook, and thinner cooks faster. However, always cook to the final internal temperature, never by time alone, since there are variables.
🐄Ingredient options and variations
Meat options: You can make beef meatloaf with ground beef, usually 80/20 (20% fat), but lean ground beef may be a little dryer. You can also mix in ground pork, or make a turkey meatloaf with ground turkey, or use chicken.
Vegetable options—Onion and garlic are usually in the seasoning salt but may be added. Other vegetables commonly added are celery, green bell pepper, or carrot. Whatever you add, they should be chopped small to cook thoroughly.
The glaze: A nice coat of ketchup is simple and appropriate for this simple dish. Many recipes fancy this up with brown sugar, mustard, or bacon or barbecue sauce.
Seasoning—The recommended seasonings are salt (Lowery's suggested) and ketchup (good quality, like Hunts or Heinz). You may want to add other seasonings, like thyme or Worcestershire sauce. If you use tomato sauce instead of ketchup, you will need to add other seasonings.
📖Meatloaf Recipes
For a change of pace meatloaf, try Paula Deen Inspired Basic Meatloaf. To change the flavors and add some onion gravy, try my Old Fashioned Salisbury Steak Recipe.
Baked Meatloaf Burgers
Meatloaf Burger Patties make a perfect single serving of meatloaf or serve as juicy, flavorful meatloaf burgers. It's easy to cook these meatloaf patties in the oven, on the grill, or fried on the stovetop.
↕️How to make a meatloaf of any size
The recipe is set for a 1-pound 4-serving meatloaf, although we generally make a 2-pounder. This is an adjustable recipe for a ½-pound meatloaf for 2-serving to a 4-pound for 16 servings.
- Change the number of servings in the recipe card from 4 to the size you want.
- Use the amount of ingredients in the ingredient from the adjusted ingredient list, not in the instruction section. If there is a fraction of an egg, round up to the next whole egg. See the section below about onion sizes.
- Form into a 1 to 1 ½ thick oval loaf in a baking pan that will not touch the sides.
- Bake to an internal temperature of 165°. Estimated baking times are listed above.
Make the amount of meatloaf you want and divide it into cupcakes between 1 to 1 ½ thick. The number will vary by the amount you make and the size of your cupcake pan. Cooking time will be about 20-30 minutes until 165°.
🤔How to make cupcake meatloaf
You can use a cupcake pan for smaller servings and freeze some for later.
Make the amount of meatloaf you want and divide it into cupcakes between 1 to 1 ½ thick. The number will vary by the amount you make and the size of your cupcake pan.
Helpful hint: Use lower-fat ground meats since it is impossible to remove the drainage after cooking.
Cooking time will be about 20-30 minutes until 165°. Of course, you are cooking to a final temperature, not by time estimates.
🧅Approximate yield of chopped onion using different onion sizes.
This recipe uses about ½ cup of chopped onion per pound of ground meat. You can vary that some, but too much onion can take over the flavor, so don't overdo it.
- A small onion, about the size of a lemon, will yield about ½ cup of chopped onion.
- A medium onion, about the size of a baseball, will yield about 1 cup of chopped onion.
- A large onion, about the size of a grapefruit, will yield about 2 cups of chopped onion.
🍽️Serving meatloaf
Serve with a hot vegetable like Baked Green Beans, corn, or peas. A nice potato, like a baked potato, Twice Baked Potato, or Old Fashioned Scalloped Potatoes. And don't forget the bread, like Stand Mixer Bread or Easy Dinner Rolls.
Reheat a slice in a microwave or make a meatloaf sandwich for leftovers.
❄️How to store leftover meatloaf
Seal in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days.
If you are freezing the meatloaf, I suggest cutting it into serving-size slices and wrapping it well. Good in the freezer for 4 days.
❓FAQs
Assume ¼ to ⅓ pounds per serving. We always make a two-pound meatloaf for leftovers for the two of us. If you want fewer leftovers, make a one-pounder. A pound of meat will make four larger servings.
No, it is not needed. Meatloaf should be cooked uncovered. The meatloaf will still be moist.
Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat mixed with other fillers. During the Great Depression, it was a way for families to stretch their budget by using inexpensive ground meat and leftover ingredients like bread or cereal. It is then formed into the shape of a loaf and then baked.
When a starch like bread or grains is combined with an added liquid that forms a "panade," added to ground meat, it keeps the results moist.
When a starch like bread or grains is combined with a liquid, it forms a panade, which is added to ground meat and keeps the results moist.
For meatloaf, the panade is made of bread, breadcrumbs, oatmeal, or crackers soaked in milk and is usually about ¼ to ⅓ of the volume of the meatloaf. You can use oats for the starch and, of course, substitute for the dairy with beef broth.
👨🍳Recipe
Small Meatloaf for 2 or More
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Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 egg
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ⅜ cup bread crumbs
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ teaspoons Lawry's Seasoning salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Glaze
- ¼ cup ketchup
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Spray a shallow baking dish with PAM.
- Chop a half of a medium onion or a small onion for about ½ cup of chopped onion.
- Add all ingredients minus 2 tablespoons of ketchup for topping in a large bowl.
- Mix well, ensuring not to leave any chunks of the burger unmixed. I use clean hands for this. Officially, use a wooden spoon.
- Move the meat mixture into the baking pan and shape it into a loaf 1 to 1 ½ inches thick loaf. A thicker loaf is fine, but it will take longer to cook. Cover the top with 2 tablespoons of ketchup.
- Place in the preheated oven and cook to an internal temperature of 165° — about 30 to 40 minutes for a one-pound meatloaf or just over an hour for a two-pounder. Remove from the pan for serving and discard the drainage.
Recipe Notes
Pro Tips:
- ½ cup of onion is one small or half a medium. See the post about onion sizes.
- Cheap ketchup would spoil this, so I always use Hunt's or Heinz.
- This is a straightforward recipe to adjust. You need one egg per pound of meat. The serving setting allows you to adjust the size of the recipe. The post provides detailed instructions with cooking time estimates.
- I like to use a 7-8 inch spatula to remove the meatloaf from the pan.
- It reheats well in a microwave when cut into slices but is also good cold for sandwiches.
- You can cut this recipe down, but we usually do about 2 pounds since the leftovers are great.
- Please do a lot of handwashing. We have raw ground meat and eggs, so the risk of contamination is relatively high.
- We usually put a couple of baking potatoes in the oven with this. Cooking time is a good match.
- Good refrigerated for 4 days. Good frozen for 4 months. You can also make it ahead and hold it in the refrigerator for a day before cooking.
Your Own Private Notes
To adjust the recipe size:
You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.
Nutrition Estimate
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Editor's Note: Originally published on February 17, 2010. Updated with refreshed photos and a total rewrite with options and variations.
Catherine Yoss says
Great Recipe. I grew up making this and remember fondly my mother and grandmother making this. Thank you for reminding me. Your recipes have been really helpful because most of them make small amounts. Very important if you are cooking for one. I look forward to each new entry.
Catherine Yoss
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Catherine,
Welcome to the blog.
This can be cut down to a 1 pound meatloaf and should take 35-45 minutes to bake. Or you can also do cupcake pan for smaller servings and it should take 20-30 minutes depending on the tray material, size and how full you make it. Of course, you are cooking to a final temperature. And it will freeze well.
I do have some recipes that will "feed an army" but I try to keep it small.
Thanks for the note.
Dan
Sonia Kuczynski says
to make the meatloaf moist use a shredded zucchini peeled of course and squeeze out the water and shredded carrots , will also give you a great taste too and shredded onion or even brown the diced onions in a skillet and add to the meatloaf , I use a brush to baste the meatloaf with ketchup but not too much as it burns a lillte on the top and I drain off all the fat juice too and let the Meatloaf to Rest for about 15 minutes before I slice it. Delicious try it
Larry Emmons says
What size baking pan do you use for the 2 pounds of ground beef old fashioned meatloaf recipe?
Dan Mikesell AKA DrDan says
Hi Larry,
Welcome to the blog.
For 2 pounds, it fits in a 6 by 9 well. If you are making bigger, it won't fit. Also, "too big" is fine since it holds its shape well.
Dan
Lou Ann says
Thank you...just like mom's 🙌😀
Debra says
I like this recipe for my husband and I I also threw in a quarter cup of diced jalapenos. Always looking for recipes for two
Philip Dally says
This is really good! Imixed everything together, placed it in the casserole dish and let it sit for a couple hours to let all the ingredients get to know one another before tossing it on my pellet grill set at 375 for an hour.
I would feel comfortable using a large loaf pan for this. The particular pan I used caused a darker edge that I think would be eliminated with a smaller pan and let the meatloaf be a little thicker.
Don't forget to grease the pan.
YUM!!
KJill says
Sometimes the classics are the best! Very good basic recipe, I do like to add a little Worcestershire sauce as my mother does. I try to use very lean beef but I also just form meatloaf in a sort of long mound (or mounds) on a rimmed baking sheet so it isn't sitting in any fat that cooks out. The bread and ketchup topping help keep it moist and I have never had a problem with dry meatloaf.
DrDan says
Agreed, classics are best for things like this. I use lower fat frequently and just be sure not to short the bread crumbs.
Dan
Janie says
Hi Dr. Dan, what size pan do you use to make this? Your Goulash recipe was excellent! I will be making it again soon. Thank you
DrDan says
Hi Janie,
Sorry for the delayed reply.
The baking dish san be almost any size. The meatloaf if formed up and holds it shape. You should try to keep the thickness under 2 inches since it will be difficult to get the center to 165.
Having said the above, for a two pounder something in the 10X6 range works well. I usually use corning ware an that is about 10X7
Dan
Donna says
Can not wait to have meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow night! I ran out of ketchup and didn’t have enough for the topping. We did use store-bought BBQ sauce as a dipping sauce. Didn’t have fresh onions, so used dried minced onion. Used Panko bread crumbs. I also only had a pound of hamburger, but still used a whole organic egg (local chicken raiser). Amazing meatloaf! Will definitely be making this again, but using 2 pounds of hamburger! And will have the baked red potatoes as a side dish.
Linda Miller says
Have you tried a tablespoon of Worcester sauce? It really kicks the flavor up a notch. I have made this many times and Worcester is the only addition I have used.
Nancy L says
I have been making your meatloaf for a couple years now! I have it saved on pinterest and continue to return to it because it's easy and I actually liked the old post as it made me laugh whenever I read it! Thanks for keeping this recipe up and updating it. Will be making again this weekend. Thank your wife also for such a simple and tasty recipe. Everyone loves this stuff!
Dale says
Great meatloaf. I used a cup of crushed butter garlic croutons in place of the bread crumbs. Worked perfect. Going to try a thinner dish next time for more of that crispy edge.
DrDan says
Hi Dale,
Thanks for the note. I do love simple everyday comfort food like this. Really this is a base recipe so change around whatever you want and it will probably work great.
Dan
Karen says
Getting ready to make this again. I've made it over and over; the only meatloaf recipe I use!
DrDan says
Thanks Karen,
It is one of our go-to meals. Great comfort food once or twice a month. I do admit to cheating and using premade bread crumb frequently.
Dan
Judy Uhl says
This is our favorite meatloaf!! Very good!
DrDan says
Mine too. I have a Paula Deen recipe that is more popular but this is much better and simpler.
Thanks for the comment.
Dan
Ernestine Banycky says
Yum a keeper will make this many times 😌
Dan Mikesell says
That is 80/20 ground beef. I usually do not buy the meat labeled "hamburger". Ground beef just has the fat in that piece of meat. Hamburger can have any beef fat trimmed elsewhere added.
I frequently buy a better (read lower fat) meat which works great here since the bread/milk keeps the whole think moist.
Heather Watson says
Do you use 80/20 hamburger?