let’s share our meatloaf secrets


Moist is a key word when it comes to delicious meatloaf.


Isn’t this a cute little meatloaf? Baked in my Le Creuset Chestnut Oval Baker.


Really good meatloaf recipes are a dime a dozen… No, actually, they are cheaper than that, they’re free! You can ask your mom, my mom, your cousin, your best friend, your co-worker, Molly, my butcher, Google, Foodbuzz (click here)…or me.

But this post is about my secrets to a scrumptious meatloaf:  Cook at 325 until the meat registers 155 degrees as opposed to a specific cooking time. Use a remote thermometer. Remove from oven and let rest before serving. This results in a moist juicy meatloaf.

And have a gooey zippy sauce. This one is 4 parts barbecue sauce to one part each honey and Worcestershire plus several hearty dashes of hot sauce. Whisk together and pour over the meat prior to cooking.

Peas are optional.

Do you have a meatloaf secret to share?

16 thoughts on “let’s share our meatloaf secrets”

  1. Oh, boo-hoo! The very best part, your gorgeous photos are nothing but boxes with little red Xs in them. My machine? Or yours. Thanks for the wonderful blog

  2. Oh, XP, I’m sorry to hear that. The photos are fine on this end. I’ll see what others say…

    And thanks for the compliment 🙂

  3. Well, now I couldn’t see the pics either. I wonder if someone can tell me what causes that?

    I uploaded the photos again. Thanks for letting me know.

  4. I can see them now, so, whatever it was, it got solved.
    I have to tell you that, thanks to the photos of colorful kitchen items I saw on your blog, I have decided it is time to bring color in my kitchen too. So, when the time came for me to buy an immersion blender, I chose a red one.

  5. I love meatloaf, but The Husband? Not so much. I add a little ketchup in with the meat for extra moistness.

  6. I remember when I was a kid my Mom would always top her meatloaf with strips of bacon, It looked pretty and tasted good too!

  7. Love this little loaf, but then all of your photos are food porn. I use sour cream for moisture and plain old French bread crumbs. BTW, what’s the veggie dish in the last meatloaf photo? And thanks Double-L for making everything look so luscious.

  8. Hi Simona – YAY for red kitchen appliances! YAY for immersion blenders!

    Hi Jessy – oh, thanks for that, cheese in the middle sounds terrific. Pepper jack cheese comes to mind…

    HI Cate – Welcome! Ketchup, good!

    Hi Marie – And Bacon, yes, yes!

    Hi Anon – Sour cream mixed in the meat, oooh. I just posted more ground meat (cevapcici), with sour cream!

    Hi Nina – thank you! I agree, it is not the most glamourous dish, but you can get very creative and come up with something delicious.

  9. The side dish is a savory blend of Israeli Couscous, Orzo, Baby Garbanzo Beans and Red Quinoa which I buy at Trader Joe’s. Here I cooked it in beef broth with some butter and added frozen peas.

  10. Everyone has their favorite recipe and mine comes from a cookbook that I have had a long time. Paul Prudhomme’s Louisianna Kitchen. He has a recipe for Cajun Meat Loaf with a gravy that is sooo great. Hubby loves it because it has lots of hot peppers included! Maybe I will have to make it soon and put it in a post!

  11. I completely agree that a remote thermometer is a MUST when making meatloaf! Ground up mushrooms add to the moist factor too 🙂

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