Best Meatloaf with Tangy-Sweet Glaze
A flavorful and comforting meatloaf recipe with a tangy-sweet glaze, perfect for family dinners and meal prep.
Ingredients
Meatloaf Mixture
- 1 tablespoon butter For sautéing
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds extra-lean ground beef (96/4 ratio)
- 3 slices bread, toasted and crumbled
- 7 pieces buttery round crackers (like Ritz), crushed
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3½ tablespoons sour cream
- 1½ tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 can (15-ounce) tomato sauce, divided
- ¼ cup milk (optional, as needed) Use if mixture seems too dry
Glaze
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion and garlic, cooking for about 5 minutes until the onion is soft and translucent.
- Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and let cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, combine the cooled onion-garlic mixture, ground beef, crumbled toasted bread, crushed crackers, beaten egg, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, and half of the tomato sauce. Mix until just combined.
Baking
- Transfer the mixture to a 5x9-inch loaf pan, pressing it in evenly. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.
- After 40 minutes, increase the oven temperature to 400°F and continue baking for 15 minutes to develop a flavorful crust.
- In a small bowl, mix together the remaining tomato sauce and ketchup. Pour this mixture evenly over the top of the meatloaf. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes to caramelize.
- Let the meatloaf rest in the pan for about 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
For added moisture, you can include a bit of milk if the mixture seems too dry. Don’t overmix the meatloaf mixture; this helps keep it light and tender. You can add your favorite herbs or spices to customize the flavor to your liking.