Barefoot Contessa Meatloaf Recipe (2024)

This Barefoot Contessa meatloaf recipe is a crowd favorite! Read on for Ina Garten's meatloaf recipe, tips and tricks.

Most of us probably grew up eating meatloaf for dinner at least a few times a year, if not every month. And is there anything better than a tasty meatloaf sandwich at a down-home restaurant?

As it turns out - yes! The Barefoot Contessa meatloaf recipe is all the flavor and nostalgia you remember from your favorite childhood comfort food.

Ina Garten's meatloaf recipe is easy to make and packed with flavor. Below are all the tips you need to make this delicious sheet pan meatloaf recipe!

If you want to recreate the meatloaf of your childhood memories or your favorite diner meal, you’ve come to the right place!

Making the perfect meatloaf at home with the Barefoot Contessa meatloaf recipe is easy.

You don’t even need to use a loaf pan, unless you prefer it. Instead, you can simply shape the meatloaf with your hands and bake it on a sheet pan.

What is Meatloaf Made Of?

Meatloaf usually contains two pounds ofground meat, such asbeef,pork, veal,turkeyorlamb. You can even use a combination.

To hold the meatloaf together, you'll need some form of bread, bread crumbs, crackers or oats. Use this, along with milk or water and eggs, as a binding agent when mixing the meatloaf.

If desired, you can add finely chopped onions or vegetables, such as spinach, to your meatloaf mixture. Doing so adds a lot of flavor in addition to using a bit of black pepper, salt or other seasonings.

You can top the meatloaf with a simple glaze, gravy or evenwrap it in bacon. For this meatloaf recipe you use a combination of ketchup and steak sauce to create a very easy glaze.

If you want to make turkey meatloaf,read our tips for making a moist turkey meatloaf. It's also super delicious!

Ingredients for Meatloaf

To make the Barefoot Contessa meatloaf recipe, you will need:

  • Ground Beef
  • Eggs
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Diced onion
  • Minced garlic
  • Italian seasoning
  • Ground black pepper
  • Salt
  • Milk
  • Ketchup
  • A1 steak sauce

For the Glaze:

  • Ketchup
  • Steak Sauce

Best Meat for Meatloaf

What is the best meat for meatloaf? It's important to use a leaner ground beef when meating meatloaf.

While fat can add a lot of flavor, in a dish like meatloaf the excess fat will result in a greasy, rubbery meatloaf.

Chances are if you've had a meatloaf recipe you didn't love, it's because it wasn't made with the right kind of beef!

A leaner beef like 85% lean ground beef or 90% lean ground beef is the way to go when making the Barefoot Contessa meatloaf recipe.

Some people assume that using lean ground beef will result in a dry meatloaf. That's actually not the case!

Ina Garten's meatloaf recipe calls for ketchup, steak sauce, milk and egg and lots of finely chopped onion.

The combination of all of those ingredients is a mosit, flavorful meatloaf that you'll want to make time and again.

How to Make Meatloaf

1. Add all ingredients (ground beef, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, milk, 2 tablespoons of ketchup and 2 tablespoons of steak sauce) to a mixing bowl.

2. Gently mix everything together using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatula until it's mostly combined.

3. Continue mixing everything together until all of the ingredients are well incorporated.

You may find it easier to mix everything together with your hands, being sure to wash your hands well after working with raw meat.

4. Turn meat mixture out onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Gently shape the beef into a loaf shape in the center of the pan for nice, even cooking.

5. Bake at 375°F for about 40 minutes. In the meantime, mix the remaining ketchup and steak sauce together in a small dish.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven, glaze the top with the ketchup and steak sauce mixture then bake for another 10 minutes or until the internal temperature is 155° F

6. Remove from the oven and allow the meatloaf to rest for ten minutes before serving.

Check out these meatloaf recipes for ideas:

We love a good meatloaf recipe around here so we'd be remiss if we didn't urge you to check out this deliciousStuffed Meatloafrecipe.

Looking for a gluten-free meatloaf recipe? ThisGluten-Free Teriyaki Meatloafis a favorite!

If you're a cheese lover, check out thisCheddar-Stuffed Florentine Meatloaf with Creamy Potato Gravy. It's unexpectedly delicious!

Love Ina Garten's meatloaf recipe featured here? Check out theBarefoot Contessa Turkey Meatloafrecipe, too.

Planning a dinner party and need some inspiration?

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Barefoot Contessa Meatloaf Recipe (12)

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Barefoot Contessa Meatloaf Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the basic meatloaf formula? ›

In essence, it boils down to a few simple steps: Combine ground meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, and other flavorful ingredients of your choice. Put this mixture in a lightly greased loaf pan and bake it until it's cooked through.

What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart? ›

When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well. Including larger quantities of these items should help solve the problem.

Why milk instead of water in meatloaf? ›

Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat, and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.

How to make a Bobby Flay meatloaf? ›

directions
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. ...
  3. Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. ...
  4. Whisk together the remaining ketchup and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl then brush the mixture over the entire loaf.
  5. Bake the meatloaf for approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Should you cover meatloaf when baking? ›

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

Is it better to cook meatloaf at 350 or 375? ›

The oven temperature is typically set at 350 degrees F for making meatloaf. That's the temperature you want to be sure to use so the meatloaf cooks and doesn't dry out. Too high, and the outer crust will burn before the interior is cooked all the way, too low and you don't get that delicious crust.

What is traditional meatloaf made of? ›

No bells and whistles - just a few ingredients including beef, egg, bread crumbs and a simple tomato-based topping. Use a gentle touch with ground beef. Over-mixing will result in burgers, meatballs or meatloaves with a firm texture.

Why do you put baking powder in meatloaf? ›

Adding baking soda to the beef keeps it moist by stopping the proteins from binding too quickly (which dries out the meat).

What happens if you put too many eggs in meatloaf? ›

Fewer eggs will create a denser and firmer meatloaf that will be more compact and easier to slice, but more eggs can create a more tender and light texture that allows the meatloaf to melt in your mouth.

What can I use instead of breadcrumbs in meatloaf? ›

What Can You Substitute Bread Crumbs in Meatloaf With?
  1. Rolled Oats: When it comes to breadcrumb substitutes, rolled oats are one of the leading contenders. ...
  2. Crushed Crackers: An equally viable alternative is crushed crackers.
Sep 1, 2023

What can I add to meatloaf so it's not dry? ›

Add one or two eggs per pound of meat for a moist texture. Make Use of Milk: Soak breadcrumbs in milk before adding them to your mixture. This will keep your meatloaf moist during baking. Slather on Sauce: Add a layer of ketchup, barbecue sauce, or a mixture of both on top of your meatloaf before baking.

What happens if you forget the milk in meatloaf? ›

Binding: Milk acts as a binding agent in meatloaf, helping to hold the ingredients together. Omitting milk may result in a slightly looser texture, but there are other binding agents that can be used instead, such as eggs or breadcrumbs [1].

Do you drain the juice from meatloaf? ›

When the meatloaf is done, remove the loaf pan from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes. Drain the extra fat and liquid off of the meatloaf and discard. Slice the meatloaf and serve.

Does Gordon Ramsay have a meatloaf recipe? ›

Gordon Ramsay's meatloaf recipe is made with ground beef, although you could use ground lamb, pork, veal, venison, or poultry as well if you like. When your meatloaf is cooked, you can slice it like a loaf of bread to make individual portions and serve them to your family or guests.

How do you keep meatloaf moist when baking? ›

Use Extra Egg: Eggs act as binders and provide moisture. Add one or two eggs per pound of meat for a moist texture. Make Use of Milk: Soak breadcrumbs in milk before adding them to your mixture. This will keep your meatloaf moist during baking.

Is meatloaf better on a sheet pan or loaf pan? ›

Not only does sheet pan meatloaf bake up faster than its traditional loaf-shaped cousin, it also has more surface area, meaning every bite is laden with that deliciously caramelized topping.

What can you put under meatloaf to soak up grease? ›

A neat trick to soak up the grease under your meatloaf is to line the bottom of the pan with bread slices. The bread soaks up the grease as the loaf bakes. When the meatloaf is done, you can either throw out the bread or bake it to make some truly indulgent toast.

References

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