No matter how old you get, there is always going to be that one bad day that will make you crave comfort food. For me, one of the most comforting meals is a delicious meatloaf.
In fact, meatloaf is arguably THE quintessential American comfort food. Many households have their easy meatloaf recipes that are passed down from generation to generation. How about you: Brown or white gravy? Ketchup or barbecue sauce? Or just plain?
The oatmeal in this recipe is great for retaining moisture and preventing the meatloaf from drying out while cooking.
How long to cook meatloaf
The cooking time of a meatloaf will vary depending on the size of the pan and how much it’s filled. Thus for a standard 2 lb. loaf tin (8 x 4 x 3 inches approx), your meatloaf will need around 30-40 minutes to cook through at 350°F.
In a baking dish, the area inside the dish is going to be wider and more shallow compared to a loaf tin.
When you shape your meatloaf inside, you’re going to spread it more thinly (around 2 inches approximately), and it will only take around 15-20 minutes for your meatloaf to cook in a 350°F oven.
The internal temperature for the food safety of meatloaf is from 155 to 160⁰F.
What goes with meatloaf?
Meatloaf is pretty hearty and filling, so you want to pair it with dishes that can complement the savory flavor, give it a textural boost, or lighten the flavor on your palate.
Meat and potatoes are a classic combination, and our air fryer carrot fries can add a sweet element to your meal. (A healthier finger-food option for kids, too!) Want to impress without much work? Bacon Cheddar Smashed Potatoes right here.
If you’re looking for a bit of texture contrast, choose vegetables! Roasted cauliflower or coleslaw can provide a fresh and crunchy contrast to your meatloaf.
Finally, adding a sauce or dip can lighten the heft of meatloaf. Our Bang-Bang Sauce has a unique, memorable kick that goes great with meatloaf.
How to reheat meatloaf
- Use the microwave on the defrost setting. Cover the plate with one serving of meatloaf slices for 40 seconds. Remember the 3 Ts: Time, Turn, Test.
- On medium heat in a skillet with a teaspoon of water in the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan with too many meatloaf slices.
Renee and I discuss some of the finer points of reheating meatloaf in the video below.
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Can you freeze meatloaf?
Wrap the meatloaf tightly in foil or cling wrap to protect it from freezer burn and prevent the meat from drying out. Once you are ready to serve it, simply let it thaw in the fridge (it’s best if you take it out of the freezer the night before you want to cook it).
Cheesy Meat Loaf Recipe With Oatmeal
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs of ground chuck
- 1 c. of cheddar cheese
- 1 small onion
- 1 small bell pepper
- 1 ½ c. of oatmeal
- 1 t. each of salt and black pepper
- ¼ t. of dried thyme
- ¼ t. of garlic powder
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 can of tomato paste
- A knob of butter or margarine to grease the loaf pans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350⁰F.
- While your oven is preheating, prepare your other ingredients. Grate your cheddar cheese (we like to use a rough grate so that you get bigger bits of melted cheese). Finely chop your onion and bell pepper.
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground chuck, cheese, onion, bell pepper, thyme, garlic, and oatmeal until well-blended.
- In a separate small bowl, mix together the beaten eggs, and the tomato paste until thoroughly combined. Add to the meat mixture and blend well until thoroughly combined.
- Using your hands, press the meat mixture into two greased 4×8-inch loaf pans.
- Bake uncovered for one hour.
- Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
What if I don’t have oatmeal?
You can use binders that soak up moisture, such as bread or croutons.
You can simply tear up the bread with your hands, soak it in milk or stock, and it will work the same as oatmeal.
You can also use bread crumbs, but bread crumbs won’t work as well as a way to retain moisture because it will go mushy and soggy when soaked.
As a binder, however, bread crumbs work fine. If you’re going to use bread crumbs, you might consider adding a bit of milk or stock to the meat mixture itself.
1/3 cup will do just fine for this recipe.
Add the glaze
Since the recipe calls for cooking the meatloaf uncovered, you might find that the top of the meatloaf can get a bit dry.
You can prevent that by adding a simple glaze to the meatloaf.
Turn your oven up to 400F. Then mix together some ketchup, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
Brush on the glaze after the meatloaf is cooked and place it back in the oven for another 10 minutes at 400⁰F.
The glaze will not only moisten the surface of the meatloaf, it will also create a tangy and caramelized layer!
This looks so yummy!! I think this will be a hit for my three boys!
thanks for sharing. looks awesome
Looks Really Good…
Yummy!
It took me about a day and a half to scroll down and find the actual recipe, but once I did it looks good! I make meatloaf all the time minus the cheese and with breadcrumbs rather than oatmeal, but I think I’d like to add cheese and give the oatmeal a try and see how it turns out 🙂