This Meatloaf Recipe is not only delicious, but it has an amazing magical surprise in the middle!
Meatloaf Recipe
Grandma handed down her famous meatloaf recipe and I have made it at least once a week since. I recently kicked it up and notch and added a fun twist… eggs in the middle! Eggs add something pretty awesome to a standard meatloaf. They are light and airy compared to a dense loaf of hamburger meat and the contrasting textures taste absolutely amazing.
I have heard a good many people say that only meatloaf they are interested in is the band. I say, let’s settle this over some dinner. This is it, the ultimate in comfort food. Why do some turn away from this amazing meal? Probably because they are doing it wrong, or their mom did. So, how do we turn a blah meatloaf recipe into something amazing? It has to be juicy, saucy, and full of flavor.
This meatloaf will knock your socks off! It has all of the aforementioned requirements. The seasoning in this meatloaf recipe is simple. A little hamburger mixed with onions, freshly cracked eggs, garlic, salt, pepper, milk, Worcestershire and some crushed up crackers. Simple right? It’s all in the details. For this recipe, we start by kicking up the flavor a notch by caramelizing the onions before we mix it into the ground beef. Throw everything together in one pot and get mixing.
How to make this Magic Meatloaf Recipe
First things first, you will need a few soft boiled eggs. If you are boiling them, I usually recommend about 4-5 minutes. That really depends on the freshness of your eggs though. I prefer to put them in a little bit softer than normal because this recipe is going to bake for an hour. Seriously, this is so easy! You saute the onions, boil the eggs, mix the meatloaf ingredients, put a small bit (about half the meat) in a greased oven safe casserole dish, place the eggs and then surround them with the remaining mixture.
Top it all off with a 50/50 mixture of ketchup and sweet barbeque sauce, and bake.
What should I serve with this Meatloaf Recipe?
Let’s be honest, meatloaf is a heavy meal and we know you can’t eat just one slice! However, depending on how many people you have to serve, you might want this meal to stretch a little further. I would recommend pairing it with my baked parmesan shoestring fries or garlic potato wedges. You could simply serve it up with some green beans or sweet corn as well if you wanted something a little lighter.
Tips Tricks and Variations
What kind of meat should I use for this meatloaf recipe?
Ground beef comes in many forms, you could go extra lean, or full fat. Marbling in meat generally equals more flavor so you can be the judge, but you can use any variation. For this meatloaf, I used a lean ground beef. (actually from our own butchered cow)
Can I make a meatloaf sandwich with this recipe?
Yes! The trick to making this meatloaf recipe “sandwich worthy” is to pack the meat mixture tighter. Generally speaking, for a lighter texture, I do not recommend packing the meat too tightly. For sandwiches though, you can really get in there and pack it in. The tighter the better.
Do I have to use Barbeque Sauce?
No, there are many variations out there for the tomato sauce on top. I would stick with ketchup, although you could mix in a little sriracha ketchup if you like it spicy. For the barbeque sauce, you could use brown sugar instead. The flavor you are going for has a sweet tang and ketchup mixed with brown sugar will work in the same way.
Do I have to use the egg?
Not at all. You can skip it all together or, throw some mozzarella in the center for a cheesy meatloaf.
Can I make this Meatloaf ahead of time?
You can! The meat mixture and the sauce for the top can all be made a day in advance. I would hold off on the eggs because you want them soft. If you don’t mind a hard boiled egg then you can make that in advance as well!
More Ground Beef Recipes
Magic Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups onions, chopped
- 1 cup whole, divided
- 1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 5-6 soft boiled eggs
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup sweet barbeque sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a large non-stick pan heat oil over medium-high heat until hot.
- Add chopped onions and cook for 5-7 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine beef, eggs, onion, garlic, crackers (or bread crumbs), salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add in half of the milk and mix. The amount of milk may vary. The texture should be soft, but not runny. Add more as needed.
- In a greased loaf pan, add a 1-inch layer of the meat mixture. Place the eggs in a neat row in the center.
- Add the remaining meat mixture on top of the eggs, carefully sealing all edges and pressing the meat in tightly.
- In a separate bowl, combine ketchup and barbeque sauce. Mix well and spread over the top of the meatloaf.
- Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.
Video
Did you make this recipe?
You can tag me at @iamhomesteader.
This is the recipe I grew up with in the 50’s! I thought my mum was a rockstar putting the eggs in the meatloaf. Your version is absolutely delicious and rivals my mum’s.
Made the meatloaf last night ,it was a hit with everyone so good
My husband put two halves of avocados stuffed with cheese in his meatloaf, sometimes. It was delicious.
My meatloaf I use hamburger onions bell pepper and salt and pepper 2 eggs and box stove top dressing with alittle milk and ketup and mix it all .up andketup on top. When it’s done its so good and I make my salmon patties same way just use canned salmon instead hamburger.
My Mom use to put 1 hard boiled egg in the middle of her meat loag and called it the surprize.’
We would all fight over who got those slices…ps there were 7 of us
My father used to make it with eggs. He died 58 years ago, and I have not seen this version since then! Now I know how to do it! On the menu for this week.
Amanda. I made your Meat Loaf Recipe and it was absolutely delicious. Thank You for making me look good. Love ya! 😊
This recipe looks great can’t wait to try it
this is the same meatloaf my mom made I also have a great way to make meatloaf. sauted spinach and carmelized onions and sauted mushrooms with mozzarella cheese in the middle of the loaf adding tomato sauce on the top 15 minutes before its done.
I would never have thought to use crumbled Ritz crackers instead of bread crumbs!
It asks for 2T of salt … I used half that and it was good. I’m afraid to try more!
I also used a bolder, spicier BBQ sauce (Bull’s-Eye Guinness) to mix with the ketchup and it worked very well.
You have to flip it twice: once to get it out of the pan and once to get it upright again. It’s a challenge with all the sauce on top as well as all the rendered fat in the pan. You could try lining the pan with foil and create handles to lift it out afterward.
Quaker oats instead of Ritz crackers works well.
Yes, the use of the old fashioned oats as the expander, dates back to a 1957 recipe my Mom always made. Mix dry mustard, brown sugar and ketchup for the topping. Delicious!
Hi, I’d like to thank you for all the wonderful ideas and recipe’s, but I’m not a chef. Obviously, the amount of ingredients needed are a huge part of making delicious meals. Am I missing something or just not seeing the measurements for spices, liquids, vegetables, etc.
Our US Navy Stewburners used to make this aboard ship – We called it “One-eyed Meatloaf”. Always delicious!
That’s what I’ve always known it as…”one eyed meatloaf”
Can I please have the recipe for that meat loaf. Looks delicious!
Looks tasty – can’t wait to make it.
I had akready planned on making meatloaf, so i think I will try this…my mouth can already taste it…looks yummy! I can only use a toaster oven so I hope it works out!
Can i please have the recipe for the meat loaf it looks so yummy
Made the meatloaf last night ,it was a hit with everyone so good