This is my basic meatloaf recipe.  You can alter it to add whatever you love best, but I like simple and easy, and this is it!  Here’s how I make mine.

I always start by taking the ground beef out of the fridge, so that it can sit out for at least 30 minutes before I need to add it to the rest of my mixture.  It makes it so much easier to handle.

Then I start with the rest of my ingredients:

One egg, 1/2 an onion diced with 1/2 cup of ketchup and salt and pepper to taste…..

I grate a carrot in to my mixture.  Hayden wouldn’t touch a carrot with a ten foot pole, but as long as its grated he doesn’t mind it.  It also gives the meatloaf more moisture.  I also like to chop mushrooms and add them at this point but Denton doesn’t like them in his meatloaf.  He loves mushrooms, just not in meatloaf.  Sigh.

Beat everything together until its well combined.  The reason I do this step first, is so I don’t have to overwork the ground beef.

I always add some type of breading in at this stage.  I use whatever floats my boat that day:  oatmeal, the leftover ends of the bread loaf, panko, dinner rolls that never made it into the oven, you name it.  Just some type of breading that will give it more heft and body.  I also add 1/4 cup of milk which I don’t have a photo of.

Mix together…..

Now it’s time to add your beef.  Mix together until just combined…..

And add to your meatloaf pan, or rimmed baking sheet, or muffin tins.  I’ve used them all.

Slather the top with ketchup…..and bake until cooked through.  I generally bake mine for at least 40 minutes.

This is so simple, but it’s also very, very delicious!  Enjoy!!

Here you’ll find other awesome sites where I’ve been graciously invited to share my recipes:  Weekend Potluck, Southern Bite, Anna Nuttall, Crafts a la Mode, The Answer is Chocolate, The Country Cook, The Cottage Market, Simply Sweet Home, Tatortots and Jello, Chic on a Shoestring, Easy Peasy Pleasy, Our Mini Family, Strawberry Butterscotch, Pam’s Party and Practical Tips, Finding Silver Pennies, The Lazy Gastronome, My Soulful Home, Life and Linda, Denise Designed,  The Boondocks Blog, I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Keeping It Simple, The Organized Dream,  Flour Me With Love, Create With Joy, Mostly Blogging, A Pinch of Joy, Dwellings, Sew Can Do, Lou Lou Girls, Make Ahead Meals For Busy Moms, Mrs AOK a Work in Progress, Skip to My Lou, Meet Our Life, Worthing Court, Recipes and Ramblings, Yesterday on Tuesday,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, The Sway, Our World Tuesday, Our Home Away From Home, Lori’s Culinary Creations and Celebrate and Decorate

Here’s the handy dandy printable.