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

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.

What is the secret to a great meat loaf? ›

Use high-fat meat.

For a meatloaf made with a leaner beef or turkey, consider mixing in some ground pork and/or veal in order to achieve a moist, tender meatloaf. Chopping up bacon and adding it to the mix is always a great way to add fat. Oh, and covering it in bacon never hurts, either.

Which book is Ina Garten's meatloaf in? ›

"This is an Ina Garten recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. My husband is fussy about his meatloaf, but really likes the texture and flavor of this."

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.

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.

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.

What is the basic meatloaf formula? ›

The Basic Meatloaf Formula

All recipes for meatloaf start with the same basic formula: 2 pounds of ground meat and a “panade” made of bread or crackers soaked in milk. Along with a few eggs, this panade helps to hold the ground meat together and adds some essential moisture to the mix.

What can I put in meatloaf instead of breadcrumbs? ›

Bread Crumb Substitutes

¼ cup panko. ¼ cup cracker or pretzel crumbs. ¼ cup crushed cornflakes or other unsweetened cereals. ⅔ cup regular rolled oats (Use this only as a substitute for bread crumbs in meat loaf and other meat mixtures, such as burgers.

Is it better to cook meatloaf in a loaf pan or on a baking sheet? ›

While both are great options for cooking your meatloaf, each has its own advantages and you will get slightly different results. Sheet pans have more surface area which exposes more of the dish's surface area to the oven's direct heat to create a crunchier crust that's nicely browned.

How to add flavor to meat loaf? ›

Bacon: Wrapping your meatloaf in strips of bacon adds a smoky touch but also keeps the meat incredibly moist. Sauce: Instead of using a standard meatloaf sauce, try mixing in other condiments, like hot sauce or barbecue sauce, to create a tangy and spicy glaze that caramelizes during baking.

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? ›

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.

What veggies go with meatloaf? ›

When it comes to veggies, the sky's the limit—pretty much everything will go with meatloaf. We included some of our favorites here, like our creamed spinach, shredded Brussels sprouts, or cheesy bacon butternut squash, but truly, try any of your go-tos alongside your meatloaf.

How to prevent meatloaf from cracking? ›

To help your meatloaf stay together add things such as eggs, bread, crushed croutons, oatmeal, crackers, and breadcrumbs, these are all key ingredients that help meat stick together.

Does meatloaf have grandchildren? ›

MEAT LOAF is a grandad - his daughter PEARL ADAY and her rocker husband SCOTT IAN became first-time parents on Sunday (19Jun11). Revel Young Ian was born three weeks early, but mother and son are "doing brilliantly" according to a tweet from the proud father.

Should meatloaf be baked covered or uncovered? ›

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.

Why do you put bread slices at the bottom of a meatloaf pan? ›

Here's a simple trick to reduce the grease in your homemade meatloaf. When making meat loaf, line the bottom of your pan with slices of bread. Place the meat mixture in the pan and bake as usual. The bread will absorb most of the fat from the meat as it cooks.

Why put eggs in meatloaf? ›

Eggs are an ingredient in nearly every meatloaf, and they have two distinct roles. Egg yolks, which are mostly water but contain a good amount of protein and fat, add flavor, richness, and moisture. They also help bind the meat together and get the loaf to set in a stable form without the need to overwork the meat.

References

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