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 doesn't add additional food values.

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 tomatoes with the juice, into a mixing bowl.

Add bread crumbs, bell pepper, and salt.

Let set until liquid is absorbed into crumbs.

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

Stir in tomato mixture.

Mix well.

Add ground beef and mix thoroughly.

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

Remove 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 meatloaf in microwave cooking container.

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

Place microwavable plastic wrap* on top.

Microwave on high for 15 minutes.*

Remove from the oven and drain.

Spread ketchup on top.

Return to microwave and cook for 3 more minutes.

Let set 10 minutes before removing it and serving.

*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 with fresh 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 crumbled soda crackers, beaten eggs, tomato sauce, chopped onion, green pepper, bay leaf, thyme and marjoram.

Stir and mix well. 

Mix the ground beef in, lightly.

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

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

Remove from the oven and bast the top with drippings.

Serve warm.

Store 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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