Classic Southern Meatloaf with Old-Fashioned Tomato Sauce
This classic Southern Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce recipe is the ultimate comfort-food and a family favorite! This recipe guarantees your homemade meatloaf will never be soggy! Savory ground beef, seasoned with onion, bell pepper, garlic powder and Worcestershire sauce, finished with a sweet and savory tomato sauce glaze on top.
This is the best meatloaf recipe because it never results in a soggy or oily meatloaf. The type of pan you use, as well as the ratio of eggs to breadcrumbs in the meat mixture is what makes this recipe work perfectly every time !
Whenever I find myself craving some good ole’ “ultimate comfort food,” this is one of my go-to recipes, besides Mom’s Pot Roast! I usually serve this with Southern green beans and new potatoes, pinto beans and rice, collard greens, green bean casserole or homemade macaroni and cheese!
Ingredients for classic Southern meatloaf
This easy dinner comes together in no time and doesn’t require a meatloaf pan or stand mixer. This is one dish the whole family loves and it makes a great leftover meatloaf sandwich!
- Ground beef- for best results, I recommend using a lean ground beef, either 80/20 or 73/27% fat
- Bread crumbs-I use traditional ground bread crumbs, but if you don’t have those, you can use crushed saltine crackers or Panko crumbs
- Yellow onion- a little chopped yellow onion, plain yellow onion or sweet yellow onion
- Bell pepper – I use a chopped green peppers for this classic meatloaf recipe
- Eggs- lightly beaten
- Dry mustard powder
- Garlic powder
- Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & ground black pepper
Tomato sauce ingredients and seasonings
Simple, old-fashioned ingredients for that sweet and tangy glaze! In a small bowl, combine ketchup, dry mustard, Worcestershire, brown sugar, salt.
Type of pan
- Use a broiler pan with a bottom pan to catch any oil from the meatloaf. This type of baking pan ensures your meatloaf will not be soggy.
- For a no-fail recipe every time and juicy meatloaf that isn’t soggy and doesn’t fall apart, you’ll want to bake the meatloaf on a broiler pan. It’s a two-part pan that has a removable slotted top and a solid pan underneath
- If you don’t have a broiler pan, you can place a footed wire cooling rack in a baking dish.
- I do not recommend using a loaf pan or a baking dish because the oil from the beef drips down into the pan, which causes the meatloaf to sit in oil and get soggy on the bottom.
How to make it
- In a large mixing bowl, combine chopped onion and bell pepper with ground beef; add lightly beaten eggs, breadcrumbs, seasonings and form into a loaf shape; the best way to mix together this easy meatloaf recipe is to use your clean hands!
- Once well combined, form the meat into a loaf shape
- Place the meatloaf on a lightly oiled broiler pan that has slits in it; this allows the juices from the meat to go into the broiler pan instead of puddling in a loaf pan.
- Place uncovered meatloaf, on the middle rack of a 350°F preheated oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 150-155°F
- Make the sauce while meatloaf cooks. In a medium mixing bowl, add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and salt and combine well
- Once the meatloaf reaches 150ºF, spoon a little of the tomato sauce over the top of the meatloaf and return to oven; bake 10-15 more minutes, until the sauce thickens, and the meat thermometer reads an internal temperature of 160ºF.
- Let it rest for about 5 minutes at room temperature, then slice with a sharp knife or a serrated knife and serve; top with more of that delicious brown sugar tomato glaze and enjoy!
Recipe tips
- Use a broiler pan or a baking pan with a wire rack in it. The whole objective is to get the meatloaf up off of the bottom of the baking dish. This ensures it won’t be soggy.
- Don’t over mix the beef mixture; combine it well (using your clean hands) then shape it into a loaf form.
Can I freeze meatloaf?
- Yes. The best way is to freeze a cooked meatloaf – cook the meatloaf but don’t put any sauce on it; allow it to cool after baking, wrap the whole meatloaf in plastic wrap, then again in aluminum foil. Don’t slice it and place in freezer for up to 3 months.
- I do not recommend freezing raw meatloaf due to the uncooked eggs. Eggs don’t freeze very well and the texture and structure of the classic meatloaf changes.
Best way to reheat meatloaf and tomato sauce
The best way to reheat homemade meatloaf is in the microwave. Place a slice of the beef mixture on a microwaveable plate and lightly cover with a paper towel. Reheat until the center is warm.
If you have leftover tomato glaze, place it in a small microwaveable bowl and lightly cover with a paper towel. Heat on low for a few seconds; stir; heat again, then top your flavorful meatloaf with as much sauce as you like!
Serve this classic meatloaf with tomato sauce with a side of green beans and new pototoes, collard greens, macaroni and cheese or mashed potatoes ! If you have any leftover, which I never do, you can always make a mean meatloaf sandwich!
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♥ If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and rating below. Thank you!
Classic Southern Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
Meatloaf Ingredients
- 2½ lb. ground beef , 80/20 or 73/27
- ¾ cup chopped yellow onions
- ¾ cup chopped green bell peppers
- 1½ cups bread crumbs .seasoned or not seasoned; traditional or Panko
- 2 whole eggs , lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- spray oil for broiler pan
Sauce Ingredients
- 3 cups ketchup
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside3 cups ketchup, ⅓ cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- Lightly spray broiler pan; set asidespray oil
- Lightly beat eggs in a bowl; set aside2 whole eggs
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Combine all meatloaf ingredients into big bowl; with clean hands, mix ingredients until combined; do NOT overwork the meat2½ lb. ground beef, ¾ cup chopped yellow onions, ¾ cup chopped green bell peppers, 1½ cups bread crumbs, 2 whole eggs, 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Place beef mixture onto counter and shape into a rectangular loaf
- Place on lightly oiled broiling pan and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes, or until meat has reached 150° internal temperature
- After it has reached 150ºF, remove from oven, pour some tomato sauce over the top and return to oven
- Bake until internal temperature reaches 160ºF and tomato sauce is thickened
- Remove from oven; allow meatloaf to sit for a few minutes, then slice and serve
Notes
- Make the sauce first and set it aside
- The onion and bell pepper will be slightly crunchy; if you don’t like any crunchy texture, saute them in a skillet, then drain them and pat dry with a paper towel before adding them to the beef mixture
- Pour sauce over the top when the internal temperature of the loaf is about 150ºF; then, put it back in the oven for about 15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the internal temperature is 160ºF
- Allow meatloaf to rest about 5 minutes before slicing
The best meatloaf we’ve ever eaten and we’ve been eating meatloaf for 60 years.
Thank you, Gina!
Easy recipe to follow. Excellent taste!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
My husband loved this when I first made it. He keeps asking me to make it again. He said it was the best meatloaf ever.
The way to a man’s heart…this was the first recipe I ever made for my husband, and that was 24 years ago:) Enjoy! And thank you for taking time to leave such a kind comment:)
Very tasty! I love meatloaf and this is easy and does not fall apart.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Quick question..can I use bottled yellow mustard?
You can, but just use a pinch. A better alternative is a pinch of Dijon mustard.
This is the best meatloaf I’ve ever had! The sauce makes it. I served it with au gratin potatoes & green beans. It’s the ultimate comfort food! Thanks much!
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed Mom’s Meatloaf recipe!:)
how much dry mustard do u use, i didnt see it listed in the ingredients.
Whoops! Thanks for catching that, Barbara! I use 1 tablespoon dry mustard in meat; and 1 teaspoon in sauce. I’ve added that to the ingredients. Thank you!:)
Love it.
Thank you very much!Share the recipe!
The best, similar to the one one I have used for years but tastier! Thanks @smartypantskitchen
Delicious and very easy!
Thank you!
Excellent flavor and super easy to make. My family doesn’t like “crunchy” bell peppers, so I did sauté the onions and peppers prior to mixing into the meatloaf mix. It was perfect!
The only suggestion I would make is to cook a little longer. While my thermometer read 150°, there was still a fair amount of pink. I would suggest perhaps cooking an additional 15-20 minutes.
Definitely will remake!
Thank you, Audra! I agree with you about the cooking times… everybody’s oven is different! I appreciate the feedback:)
Seems like a lot of ketchup for the sauce since it’s just used to baste on top. Did anyone cut down on that amount?
I make more than enough tomato sauce because inevitably, someone wants more on their meatloaf.