Say the phrase “comfort food” and this homestyle Italian meatloaf immediately comes to mind. Thick slices of hearty ground beef, topped with a thick layer of tomato ketchup is delicious on cold days or anytime. This is the meatloaf recipe my grandmother made on many football Sundays that everyone couldn’t get enough of. Give it a try and you’ll understand why there are hardly ever leftovers!
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If there’s one recipe that takes me straight back to Grandma’s kitchen, it’s her homestyle Italian meatloaf.
I can’t tell you how much I loved it when I was a kid. It was my favorite Sunday dinner of all time, and I wasn’t alone. I remember her musing over the empty serving platter halfway through our meal, wondering if she should start making three loaves instead of two.
I don’t remember if she did or didn’t, but I do remember learning to make meatloaf under her watchful eye. We combined the ingredients in a huge mixing bowl and I remember how cold the meat was on my little hands. I used to run to the sink to let hot water cascade over them until they felt normal again. Nowadays I let my ground beef sit out for an hour or so before, so it warms up a bit. Live and learn, people.
I’m not sure what kind of ground beef Grandma used, but I have settled on 85/15. I’ve found a fat content less than that is too greasy for me, but 90/20 isn’t quite as succulent. But everyone has different tastes, so if you want to do ground sirloin, by all means, go for it!
Whenever I make Grandma’s meatloaf, I like to serve it with those yummy comfort food sides that no one can get enough of, like mac and cheese, corn casserole, or cheesy potatoes.
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Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and ketchup.
- Knead ingredients by hand until well-mixed. If the mixture is dry and does not stick together, add water in small amounts until the beef holds together.
- Shape mixture into two loaves and place in loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes.
- Top each loaf with ketchup (optional). Return to oven and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Grandma always said that a recipe is just a guideline. Feel free to adapt my recipes to suit your family’s needs. Be sure to comment below to let us all know how you made this recipe your own!
If you’re looking for more dinner recipes, you’ll love our delicious roast chicken and our maple pork chops, too!
Homestyle Italian Meatloaf
Difficulty: Easy12
servings15
minutes1
hour1
hour15
minutesThick slices of beef homestyle Italian meatloaf, topped with a thick layer of tomato ketchup, is delicious comfort food on cold days.
Ingredients
3 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1/2 cup Italian style breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup ketchup
1/8 – 1/4 cup water
Ketchup for drizzling (optional)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, combine ground beef, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic salt, onion powder, Italian seasoning, and ketchup. - Knead ingredients by hand until well-mixed. If the mixture is dry and does not stick together, add water in small amounts until the beef holds together.
- Shape mixture into two loaves and place in loaf pans. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes.
- Top each loaf with ketchup (optional). Return to oven and bake and additional 10 minutes.
Be sure to check out our “Main Dishes” Pinterest board for more dinner recipes from all over the internet!
