This Brown Sugar Meatloaf is the perfect family friendly dinner that tastes even better than second night. Go figure. Not only do I stock my freezer with this easy meal, I usually cook two so I can use the second one for lunches. Just make a double batch of parmesan mashed potatoes and a side vegetable for quick lunch prep afterwards.
Growing up meatloaf kinda had a bad reputation. When someone mentions meatloaf, it’s usually followed by a smart-aleck comment “Eeeewww, you ate meatloaf?” Honestly, it wasn’t until I started my own family that it became a staple recipe for dinner. Trust me, there’s no “eeeeewww”ing going on at our table.
After sharing this recipe with a few friends, I didn’t realize how fantastic this recipe was until I was told it was their go-to dinner when entertaining the in-laws. Or the rave reviews of how good it was the next day.
Honestly, we usually devour the full meatloaf in the first sitting so I had never personally sampled these acclaimed leftovers. I had to secretly stash a slice in the fridge before dinner was even on the table just so I could sample some “leftover meatloaf” the next day. Yup. Even better.
With the price of food skyrocketing, I’m always looking for a good reliable way to include an easy ground beef recipe in my weekly meal plan. Sure doesn’t hurt that this brown sugar meatloaf freezes fabulously too!
I remember my son standing on a chair at the counter helping me put together a few of these meatloaves for dinner. And considering my son is 19 years old and close to a foot taller than me, you know we’ve been enjoying this recipe for a long time.
Brown Sugar Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 ½ lbs lean ground beef
- ½ cup milk
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried minced onion
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¾ cups Italian bread crumbs or plain
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
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Lightly grease a 5x9 inch loaf pan. Sprinkle the brown sugar along the bottom of the loaf pan, pressing in place once distributed. Spread the ketchup over top of the brown sugar. Set pan aside.
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In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients. Shape the meat mixture into a log shape and place it on top of the ketchup and brown sugar. Gently press the meat mixture to form to the shape of the loaf pan.
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Cover the loaf pan with foil and place in the oven to cook for about 1 hour or until juices run clear and the internal temperature is at least 160 degrees F.
Recipe Notes
Tip: Make the meatloaf for the freezer. Cover the meatloaf with plastic food wrap, arranging the plastic wrap so that it is directly touching the meat. Next cover the pan with foil. Label your meatloaf and enjoy within 3 months. Defrost your meatloaf by defrosting overnight in the fridge before cooking as per above directions. Note: Substitute the 2 teaspoons of dried minced onion with an extra teaspoon of onion powder. The onion powder and dried minced onion can also be substituted with 1 tablespoon of onion soup mix.
Disclaimer: The nutrition information presented below is not guaranteed to be accurate.
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