Meatloaf Recipe

Old Fashioned Meatloaf Recipe made with lean ground beef, tomatoes, garlic, onions, green bell peppers, bread crumbs, eggs, and ketchup, which is known to be healthy for us.

Bake it in a regular oven or microwave it for a delicious quick meal.

This is a simple, moist and basic recipe made the way everyone made it when my children were growing up.

It is topped with ketchup, which we now know to be healthy for us.

You will not find any sugar in this recipe unless your ketchup is sweetened.

Additional sugar can overpower the meaty flavors of a great Meatloaf Recipe and does not add any additional food values, in my opinion.

Old Fashioned Meatloaf Recipe

• 1 1/2 lbs. 90% lean sirloin ground beef
  
  
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) cubed tomatoes with garlic and onion
  
  
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs
  
  
• 1/3 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
  
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 2 eggs
  
  
• 1/2 cup ketchup
  
  

Pour the tomatoes with the juice, into a mixing bowl.

Add the bread crumbs, bell peppers and salt.

Let it sit until the liquid has absorbed into the crumbs.

In another mixing bowl beat eggs until they are  light and lemon colored.

Stir in the tomato mixture.

Mix it well.

Add the ground beef and mix it thoroughly.

Place the meat into a 9 1/2" x 5" loaf pan and bake it in a preheated oven 350 F. for 1 hour or until the inside of the meatloaf no longer shows any pink color.

Remove it from the oven, drain the fat, and spread the ketchup evenly on top.

Return it to the oven and bake it another 10 minutes.

Remove the dish, carefully from the oven and let it set 10 minutes before serving.


A traditional southern dinner that featured meatloaf usually contained mashed potatoes with brown gravy and green beans as sides.

Tip: Save on electricity and time cooking the meatloaf in the oven along with your sides of vegetables or a casserole dish.

(See menu suggestion below.)

Microwave Meatloaf

Place the meatloaf in a microwavable. 

I use a 8" x 8" x 2" glass microwavable dish.

Place microwavable plastic wrap* on top of the dish.

Microwave on high for 15 minutes.*

Remove from the oven and drain.

Spread the ketchup on top.

Return the dish to the microwave oven and cook it for 3 more minutes.

Let it set for 10 minutes before removing it and serving it.

*Many plastic wraps get extra soft if they are in a microwave oven very long.

You may need to replace the plastic wrap, depending on the grade of plastic, about every 5 minutes or so with fresh plastic wrapping.

Classic Meatloaf Recipe

I was doing research online on the history of the meat loaf recipe and came up with this gem to share with you.

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
  
  
• 1 cup soda crackers
  
  

• 2 eggs, beaten
  
  

• 1 (8 oz. can) seasoned or unseasoned tomato sauce
  
  

• 2 tablespoons chopped green pepper
  
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
  
• 1 bay leaf, crumpled
  
  
• 1/4 teaspoon marjoram 

In a medium bowl, add together the crumbled soda crackers, beaten eggs, tomato sauce, chopped onion, green pepper, bay leaf, thyme and marjoram.

Stir and mix it well. 

Mix the ground beef in, lightly.

Shape the mixture into a meatloaf and place it into a casserole baking dish.

Bake at 350F. for about 1 hour or longer until it tests done when probed in the center with a fork or small knife and has no remaining pink color.  

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and bast the top with the drippings.

Slice it and serve it warm.

Store the leftovers, if there are any, in the refrigerator.

Note: I acquired this delicious, classic meatloaf recipe from a cook book that was honoring country music  singers, published in 1978.


The great country singer who shared this recipe was Bill Anderson. 

His wife, Becky Anderson shared this information that was included in the book.

Mrs. Anderson said, "I got this meat loaf recipe several years ago from a neighbor. Knowing that meat loaf is one of Bill's favorites, I decided to fix it for him one night for dinner... not knowing it would immediately become his all time favorite, surpassing even my own and his mother's meat loaf recipe."

Menu Suggestion

Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes 


Brown Gravy

Connoisseur Green Bean Casserole


Deviled Eggs

Old Fashioned Banana Pudding


Make a delicious old fashioned comfort Dinner that is colorful, tasty and nutritious.

History Of Meat Loaf Recipes

Meat loaf recipes were first recorded in America in the 1870s, according to historians.


The dish was served for the breakfast meal back then, instead of the dinner meal as it is today.

That was probably because the recipes contained cereals. 

However, the recipes also contained vegetables, especially vegetable soups. 

Related Pages

Italian Lasagna Recipe

Italian Spaghetti Recipe

Old Fashioned Meatloaf Wth Out Tomatos

Swedish Meatballs Recipe

Return to Ground Beef Recipes


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