The Perfect One Pound Meatloaf Recipe

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By relache

Meat Loaf: Love it or hate it?

Meat loaf is one of those dishes where people either seem to love it or hate it with very little middle ground. Done well, it's flavorful and delicious, done poorly and it's a flashback to a horrendous junior-high cafeteria lunch. This hub will show you how to produce the former and not the latter.

One of the biggest complaints about bad meat loaf is that it often isn't very meaty. Too much filler (most often bread) can make for a soggy and bland loaf. To me, a good meat loaf is meaty, not greasy and will hold together so that leftovers can be sliced and made in sandwiches. If you don't like meatloaf for being too greasy, I highly recommend giving the new-fangled two-section pans a try! Getting one of those pans totally changed my meatloaf and made me fall in love with it all over again.

Although easy to mix up, meatloaf does often take an hour or more too cook. So it tends not to be a meal you suddenly decide on and make. Also, many recipes produce a good number of portions. In addition to making sandwiches with leftovers, I sometimes crumble a serving into instant spaghetti sauce to make a super-hearty quick sauce on cold winter nights.


Fave Food or ...Yuck!?

Do you like to eat meatloaf?

  • Nope, I just don't like meatloaf.
  • Sometimes I'll eat meatloaf if it's made well.
  • I'm a meatloaf lover!
See results without voting
Meatloaf is often served with mashed potatoes and gravy.

meatloaf cookbooks

Circle of Friends Cookbook - 25 Meatloaf Recipes
Amazon Price: $0.99
Meatloaf: Recipes for Everyone's Favorite
Amazon Price: $15.33
List Price: $14.95
Meatloaf 101
Amazon Price: $0.99

Cooking Meatloaf

Making a Smaller Meatloaf

Many meatloaf recipes make six to eight servings. For a single person or a couple, this can sometimes be too many meals of leftovers. Here's my personal favorite meatloaf recipes which makes a smaller meatloaf. That way I don't get burnt out from having to eat it for days.

One Pound Meatloaf - makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. ground beef

  • 1 egg

  • 1/2 C. breadcrumbs

  • 1/3 C. milk

  • 1/3 C. ketchup

  • 2 Tbsp. minced onions or scallions

  • 1 Tbsp. minced garlic

  • 1 Tbsp. chili sauce

  • 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

  • salt and pepper

Cooking:

  1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees

  2. Mix up your egg, milk, ketchup and Worcestershire sauce

  3. Add in your onion/scallions and garlic

  4. Crumble your ground beef into this mix

  5. Add your garlic powder, breadcrubms, salt and pepper then mix. You can use a spoon or your hands.

  6. Put the meat mix into a loaf pan (if you have a two-part pan, the meat goes in the top part, which is the section with holes in it.)

  7. Spread the chili sauce over the top of the meatloa

  8. Bake your meatloaf for one hour

Further Suggestions:

  • Try using ground turkey or chicken instead of beef if you want something a bit leaner or for a different flavor.

  • If you don't have bread crumbs, you can use crushed up plain crackers. You can also make bread crumbs by putting slightly stale or toasted bread in the food processor.

  • You can add bell peppers or other veggies to add some variety.


Paula Deen's Meatloaf

Cooking Comments

instantlyfamily profile image

instantlyfamily Level 4 Commenter 8 weeks ago

I am trying this recipe tonight. I even made my own bread crumbs. My husband is already drooling and is trying to rush me! Thanks for sharing.

army wife 3 months ago

used this one pound recipe for my first meat loaf ever and it was amazing.. and didnt even fall apart. :) i will definately use this over and over

relache profile image

relache Hub Author 5 months ago

Zach, I use a special meatloaf pans that drains off the grease. It's spectacular!

zach 5 months ago

what about the grease from the beef?

I used this same recipe and just added a little extra onions greed pepper, celery, and it came out delicious.

After an hour and 5 minutes I poured the watery grease that collected in the pan, and poured it into a separate bowl. I then continued to bake it for another 5 minutes or so. It came out great and it was my first meat loaf ever. 8/25/2011

Recipe Gal profile image

Recipe Gal Level 2 Commenter 5 months ago

I love meatloaf! I especially liked the recipe in the "cooking meatloaf" video you posted. I had never thought of putting potatoes in with the meatloaf, but I think it's a great idea. I'm going to have to try it next time!

GrantGMcgowan profile image

GrantGMcgowan 9 months ago

Thanks for the recipe.

lakeisha 13 months ago

Love it

relache profile image

relache Hub Author 16 months ago

Yay! So glad to satisfy your need for a small loaf recipe.

girly_girl09 profile image

girly_girl09 16 months ago

Found this via Google (was searching for a 1 lb ground beef meatloaf recipe)...love it when I come across hubs that way! :) Off to make it with some locally raised grass fed beef and will substitute gluten free breadcrumbs for a gluten free meatloaf. Thanks for the recipe!

Journey * profile image

Journey * Level 3 Commenter 20 months ago

I like a good meatloaf. This seems like a nice recipe. Thanks!

Angela Blair profile image

Angela Blair Level 5 Commenter 24 months ago

Enjoyed this Hub -- and copied the recipe. I make the most lousy meatloaf on the planet -- and even have a two-part pan! Thanks so much. Best, Sis

GmaGoldie profile image

GmaGoldie Level 6 Commenter 2 years ago

You made me hungry! Love meatloaf! Love WRKennedy's tip - will have to try! Great Hub!

Springboard profile image

Springboard Level 6 Commenter 2 years ago

I love meatloaf in most its variations. One of the life's little pleasures. Thanks for sharing some of the recipes you like...I'll have to give them a try.

mpurcell10 profile image

mpurcell10 2 years ago

Great recipe. Thank you for sharing. Look forward to reading more.

WRKennedy profile image

WRKennedy 2 years ago

Thank you for this recipe. One thing my wife does is bury some cheese, like blue or gorgonzola, in the middle of the meatloaf so you have a surprise center when you cut into it.

SugarPlum 2 years ago

thank you for your quick and easy recipe!

i was looking for something simple that utilized only one pound of beef, and your recipe is perfect, everything i have in my kitchen! no muss no fuss!

thanks again cookin friend!

GiftedGrandma profile image

GiftedGrandma Level 1 Commenter 2 years ago

Another favorite of mine and hubbies!

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