Experience the ultimate in comfort food with our incredibly moist and flavorful old-fashioned meatloaf. This beloved recipe features a rich blend of ground beef and pork, perfectly seasoned with fresh onion, celery, and parsley. It’s a timeless dish guaranteed to become a family favorite.

• 1 lb lean ground beef, 10% fat (see notes for alternatives)
• 1 lb ground pork
• 1 clove garlic, very finely chopped or minced
• 3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons celery, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs, (may substitute with unseasoned, dry breadcrumbs)
• 2 teaspoons
  homemade all-purpose seasoning
  , (see notes for seasoning details)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, (adjust to taste, see notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• Step 1: Prepare Your Oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature for even cooking once the meatloaf is ready.
• Step 2: Combine Meats and Aromatics. In a large mixing bowl, place the ground beef and ground pork. Add the very finely chopped garlic, finely chopped onion, finely chopped celery, and fresh finely chopped parsley. Do not mix these ingredients with the meat just yet; keep them separate for now. This layering approach helps to evenly distribute flavors later.
• Step 3: Whisk Wet Ingredients and Seasoning. In a separate, medium-sized bowl, whisk the large egg and milk together until they are well blended and smooth. To this mixture, add the fresh breadcrumbs (or dry unseasoned breadcrumbs if substituting), your homemade all-purpose seasoning blend, and the freshly ground black pepper. Stir all these ingredients thoroughly until they are fully combined and the breadcrumbs have absorbed some of the liquid.
• Step 4: Achieve Perfect Consistency. The egg and breadcrumb mixture should have a smooth, thick batter-like consistency, easy to blend. If you find it appears too thick or pasty, gradually add an extra tablespoon or two of milk until you reach the desired smooth consistency. This ensures the meatloaf remains moist.
• Step 5: Gently Combine All Ingredients. Add the prepared egg and breadcrumb mixture to the bowl with the meat and aromatics. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, gently combine all the ingredients. The key here is to mix just until everything is incorporated. Overmixing can lead to a tough, dense meatloaf, so be mindful not to overdo it.
• Step 6: Form the Meatloaf. Lightly coat a 9-1/2 x 5-1/2-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Carefully add the meatloaf mixture to the pan, tamping it down gently to remove any air pockets and smoothing the top surface.
• Step 7: Choose Your Baking Method. You have the option to bake your meatloaf directly in the loaf pan. However, for a crisper exterior and more even cooking, we recommend using the loaf pan merely as a mold, then transferring the meatloaf to a baking sheet.
• Step 8: Prepare for Baking (Molding Method). If using the molding method, line a shallow baking pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and coat it with nonstick spray. Carefully turn the meatloaf out of the loaf pan onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, gently firm and smooth the meatloaf into an even, well-shaped loaf. This helps prevent it from spreading too much during baking and creates a beautiful crust.
• Step 9: Initial Bake. Place the meatloaf in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes. This allows the meatloaf to begin cooking and firm up before glazing.
• Step 10: Prepare and Apply Glaze. While the meatloaf bakes, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. After 40 minutes, remove the meatloaf from the oven and brush the glaze generously over both the top and sides of the loaf, ensuring full coverage.
• Step 11: Final Bake and Rest. Return the glazed meatloaf to the oven and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the glaze is beautifully set and caramelized, and the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 155°F (68°C) when measured with a meat thermometer in the thickest part. Once baked, remove from the oven and allow it to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Resting is crucial for the juices to redistribute, ensuring a moist and tender slice every time.

About the Meat Blend: Our recipe champions a flavorful combination of lean ground beef and ground pork. This blend is key to achieving that perfectly moist and tender texture that distinguishes a truly great meatloaf. The fat content in the ground pork contributes significantly to the succulence. If you prefer to use all ground beef, ensure it has at least 15% fat content (e.g., 85/15) to compensate for the richness and moisture provided by the pork. Using 10% lean ground beef on its own would likely result in a drier meatloaf, which we definitely want to avoid!

Choosing Your Breadcrumbs: Fresh breadcrumbs are ideal for this recipe as they add a lighter, more tender texture to the meatloaf. To make them, simply pulse a few slices of day-old bread in a food processor until fine crumbs form. If fresh breadcrumbs aren’t available, unseasoned, dry breadcrumbs can be used as a substitute. Just be aware that dry breadcrumbs absorb more liquid, so you might need to add an extra tablespoon or two of milk to the egg mixture to maintain the right consistency (as noted in step 4).

Seasoning the Meatloaf: This recipe calls for a combination of our homemade all-purpose seasoning blend (which is crafted to be relatively low in sodium) along with an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt. This balance ensures deep flavor without over-salting. If you don’t have our specific all-purpose blend on hand, you’ll need to adjust the salt content. For a well-seasoned meatloaf, we recommend using about 1 to 1-1/4 teaspoons of plain salt in place of the seasoning blend and the additional salt. Keep in mind that store-bought seasoning blends can vary widely in their sodium content, so if you use a commercial blend, always taste and adjust the salt carefully, or opt for the plain salt version as advised for best results.

The Importance of Resting: Allowing the meatloaf to rest for at least 5 minutes after baking is a critical step often overlooked. This resting period allows the internal juices to redistribute throughout the loaf, resulting in a significantly more moist and tender slice. If you cut into it too soon, the juices will run out, leaving you with a drier meatloaf.

Why Shape and Bake on a Pan? While baking in the loaf pan is an option, turning the meatloaf out onto a foil-lined baking sheet allows for better air circulation around the loaf. This promotes a beautiful, even browning and a delicious caramelized crust on all sides, rather than just the top. It also helps prevent the meatloaf from stewing in its own juices, which can happen in a pan, and allows any excess fat to drain away, contributing to a better texture.

Nutrition Information (per serving)