Ina Garten’s Meatloaf Is So Good, You Should Make It For Company

In an era of kale Caesar salads and turmeric lattes, an old-fashioned meatloaf feels decidedly frumpy and uncool. There’s a Leave It to Beaver earnestness about the stuff. On dinner tables frequented by Brussels sprouts, meatloaf is the well-meaning uncle whose knee-slappers are beloved, but not particularly hip. So when I asked my husband what sounded good for dinner and he suggested “meatloaf,” I cringed a bit. Without an antique family recipe to guide me, I took to Google and breathed a petite sigh of relief when one of the first to pop up was attributed to none other than Ina Garten. If it was good enough for the Barefoot Contessa, I thought, it surely was good enough for us.

Beyond belonging to the icon who brightened our quarantines with what was arguably the world’s most enormous cosmopolitan, Ina Garten’s meatloaf recipe had other attractive qualities: a brief, elementary ingredient list and only about 15 to 20 minutes of energetic cook time. Sold. I even had many of the ingredients on hand, so the grocery bill wasn’t extravagant either. 

Will Dickey; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Julia Bayless

What’s In Ina Garten’s Meatloaf Recipe?

In the tradition of classic meatloaf, Garten’s includes onions, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup for flavor, and eggs and breadcrumbs to bind it all together. I splurged on pre-diced onions to save myself the chop time and the mess and opted to include just 2 cups of onions instead of the three the recipe called for. We didn’t miss the third cup, either; two seemed like a gracious plenty. Don’t worry about the vast amount though. The first step is to cook them in olive oil until translucent, so they all but melt into the meatloaf and add incredible flavor.

For those squeamish about handling raw ground chuck, this recipe probably isn’t for you, as it requires massaging 2 1/2 pounds of it into a rustic loaf on a sheet pan. But if you can stomach that step, the end result is so worth it. Garten’s recipe calls for a elementary glaze of ketchup over the top. A pan of heated water placed in the oven on a lower rack keeps the meatloaf saturated and prevents the top from cracking.

The Verdict

Garten’s meatloaf is saturated, flavorful, and wholesome—the kind of food that sticks to your ribs and transports you to your grandmother’s kitchen, even if she never actually made the dish. No, it’s admittedly not the prettiest thing to serve to guests, but if you’re looking to treat company to a nostalgic and delicious winter dinner that won’t require a whole lot of effort or expense, Garten’s meatloaf hits all the right comfort food notes. Your kale Caesar could never.

Tips For Making Meatloaf

No matter the recipe you operate, there are a few things you can do to ensure a deliciously saturated meatloaf every time you make it.

• Using lower-fat meat can lead to a droughty loaf. Garten’s recipe calls for 81% lean ground chuck, which keeps the dish from being too fatty. You can look for 85/15 ground beef, which is 85% lean beef with 15% fat, or 80/20.
• While you can operate raw onions instead of sautéed ones, the cooked vegetables add moisture, texture, and flavor.
• Don’t overmix the meat mixture. Mixing it too much can make it droughty and dense.
• Using a sheet pan as Garten does results in a browned, caramelized exterior. While a loaf pan can certainly produce a tasty meatloaf, the mixture steams in the pan and there’s nowhere for the juices to go.
• A elementary ketchup glaze is all you need, but if you want to change up the flavor, add a little mustard, brown sugar, or apple cider vinegar, or opt for barbecue sauce instead.
• There’s no need to cover your meatloaf. Keeping it uncovered helps achieve a nice exterior.
• Let the meatloaf rest before serving to ensure nice slices. Otherwise, it may fall apart when you cut it.

More Meatloaf Recipes

Now that Garten’s recipe has put meatloaf back on your radar, try some of our other meatloaf recipes fit for any occasion.