Meatloaf with Sweet Onion Glaze. A great old fashioned meatloaf recipe that stays moist and is complimented with the most delicious, easy to make, sweet onion glaze.
Of all the things I’ve ever cooked for her, my meatloaf is what Spouse most often requests. It is a very good standard recipe made even better with the addition of a sweet and spicy onion glaze.
With her other favorite, yesterday’s Rum and Raisin Ice Cream for dessert, I guess I have no fear of the doghouse for the time being…and they say the way to MAN’s heart is through his stomach… luckily I’m not sexist! 😉
A good, old fashioned, homemade meatloaf recipe is hard to beat and everyone needs a good standard version in their comfort food repertoire. This has been my standard recipe for at least the last 25 years but with a little recent updating; a great recipe s always an evolving thing.
This one stays moist and juicy and gets a major flavour boost from a tangy, sweet onion glaze. Some mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes is all it takes to complete one of the best comfort food meals ever.
TIP
We began grinding our own beef quite a few years ago and it really makes so much difference in everything from great burgers to a proper, slow simmered Spaghetti Bolognese.
We use a grinder attachment which is available for KitchenAid mixers. I always prefer a coarser grind for better texture.
My favourite cut of beef to grind is a chuck roast (blade roast). You’ll discover that ground chuck has far, far more flavour than regular supermarket ground beef.
The other advantage, of course, is the ability to trim much of the fat if you want, resulting in a much leaner end product.
I do not, however, recommended this when making burgers. Very lean ground beef makes for very dry burgers unless you are going to cook them quite rare.
If you liked this recipe be sure to check out another of our time tested, old fashioned family favourites, The Very Best Spaghetti & Meatballs!
Originally published on Jan 8, 2008
Like this Old Fashioned Meatloaf recipe?
You’ll find lots of other ideas from comfort food to healthy options in our Dinner Recipes Category.
It’s easy to keep up with the latest home style cooking & baking ideas from Rock Recipes. Be sure to follow Rock Recipes Facebook Page and follow us on Instagram.
Plus you’ll see daily recipe suggestions from decadent desserts to quick delicious weekday meals too.
You can also sign up for our FREE newsletter to know immediately when we add new recipes. You’ll also get weekly suggestions for great family friendly meals and desserts too!
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Meatloaf with Sweet Onion Glaze
Meatloaf with Sweet Onion Glaze - a great old fashioned meatloaf recipe that stays moist and is complimented with the most delicious, easy to make. sweet onion glaze.
Ingredients
For the Meatloaf
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 medium red onion, finely diced
- 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
- 3 ounces milk
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten
For the Sweet Onion Glaze
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small onion, julienned
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup plain tomato sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 tbsp hot sauce, more or less to taste
- 4 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp dry mustard powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
Instructions
For the meatloaf:
- Saute the garlic and red onion in the olive oil only until softened but not browned.
- Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for a few minutes before adding to the ground beef.
- Mix together the Parmesan cheese, pepper, thyme, oregano, nutmeg and paprika. Mixing these together first helps to distribute the seasoning evenly through the meatloaf.
- Add to the ground beef and breadcrumbs along with the beaten egg and the sautéed onion and garlic.
- Combine all well and press into a medium to large sized loaf pan. It's a good idea to use a loaf pan that's a little larger than the amount of meatloaf mixture to allow for the addition of the glaze later. The pan I use is perfect. It gets filled to about ½ inch from the top rim.
- Bake at 375 degrees F for about 40 minutes.
- Drain excess fat from the loaf pan and add the sweet onion glaze.
- Return to oven for an additional 30-45 minutes. Drain excess fat again before serving.
For the Sweet Onion Glaze:
- In a small saucepan sauté the onion, garlic and olive oil for about 3 minutes until the onions soften but do not brown.
- Add the remaining ingredients and simmer slowly for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
Any leftovers can be used for meatloaf sandwiches on toasted crusty bread or as we often do at our house, as paninis with the addition of some mozzarella or provolone cheese.
Recommended Products
Rock Recipes a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Our product recommendations are almost exclusively for those we currently use or have used in the past.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 448Total Fat 23gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 105mgSodium 723mgCarbohydrates 31gFiber 2gSugar 16gProtein 30g
The nutritional information provided is automatically calculated by third party software and is meant as a guideline only. Exact accuracy is not guaranteed. For recipes where all ingredients may not be used entirely, such as those with coatings on meats, or with sauces or dressings for example, calorie & nutritional values per serving will likely be somewhat lower than indicated.
Dorothea
Tuesday 9th of April 2019
Barry this is a wonderful meatloaf., I made it exactly as written. My husband and I loved it. I added this recipe to my Pinterest and reviewed it giving your website a shoutout. Thanks again from Lancaster, NY
Heather
Tuesday 9th of April 2019
Do you use store bought bread crumbs?
Michael sigmund
Tuesday 12th of June 2018
FABULOUS THIS RECEIPE IS GREAT!!!!!!!!!!michael
Claudine strickland
Thursday 9th of February 2017
I noticed that salt is missing from meatloaf, will this make a difference in taste. Never cooked meat without salt before.
Claudine
Barry C. Parsons
Friday 10th of February 2017
I don't add salt because of the amount of parmesan cheese in the meatloaf, which has enough salt in it to season the meatloaf in my opinion. Add a dash if you like, if you are a person who heavily seasons their cooking.
Jackie
Friday 11th of July 2014
Hi Barry
What brand of loaf pan did you use in this recipe.
Barry C. Parsons
Monday 14th of July 2014
Brand? Not sure. Mine are ancient! :)