Old School Meatloaf is moist and tender with green pepper and onion and a tangy tomato soup glaze on top.
This traditional meatloaf tastes just like grandmother made it. Serve with mashed potatoes and green beans for a down-home comfort food supper. Leftovers make great meatloaf sandwiches.
Meatloaf is one of my very favorite comfort foods and I’ve tried so many variations. Some of my favorites are Jalapeno Popper Stuffed Meatloaf, Italian Meatloaf, and Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf.
Eggs, tomato juice, onion, and bell pepper help keep the meatloaf moist. Buttery crackers (Ritz) form the filler for this meatloaf. They make a great binder and add more flavor than breadcrumbs.
The sauce is a delicious sweet and tangy mixture of condensed tomato soup, brown sugar, mustard, soy sauce, and apple cider vinegar.
Old School Meatloaf Recipe Tips
Use ground beef that is between 85-90% lean. If the ground beef is too lean, you will have dry, tough meatloaf. If it is too fatty, you will have a greasy mess.
Saltine crackers can be used instead of Ritz crackers.
The bell pepper can be left out if you don’t like it.
Don’t overmix the meatloaf mixture. It can make the meatloaf dense and tough.
Place the loaf pan on a rimmed baking sheet in case any grease overflows the sides.
If you don’t have a loaf pan, you can bake the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper for easy clean-up. Just shape the meatloaf mixture into a loaf.
Let the meatloaf cool a good 10-15 minutes before slicing or it will fall apart.
Storage
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 days and can be reheated in a microwave.
Can Meatloaf Be Frozen?
Yes! You can freeze this meatloaf either before or after baking. Wrap it well in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. When ready to eat, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then bake or reheat in oven. If freezing already cooked meatloaf, I recommend freezing it in slices.
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Pin ItGreat Sides To Serve With Meatloaf
- Southern-Style Green Beans
- Super Creamy Mac and Cheese
- Twice Baked Potatoes
- Country-Fried Skillet Corn
- Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes
- Savory Sweet Potato Casserole
Old School Meatloaf
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef (85 to 90%)
- 1 1/2 cups buttery cracker crumbs, about 25 Ritz crackers
- 1 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
- 1 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/2 cup tomato juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Sauce
- 1/2 cup condensed tomato soup, undiluted
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Combine all meatloaf ingredients in a large bowl. Mix with your hands just until evenly combined.
- Transfer meatloaf mixture to loaf pan. While meatloaf bakes, stir together all sauce ingredients in a bowl.Bake for 45 minutes. Pour off grease.
- Pour sauce over meatloaf. Return to oven for 20 minutes.
- Let cool for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is not really a review, but what I will do different, next time I make this: Use milk instead of tomato juice, add 1/2 green Bellpepper. Sauté onion and bell pepper because it was not cooked all the way. Add 1 Tbl worstershire sauce. Cook on a rack on a sheet pan.
For the meatloaf, did you mean tomato sauce or tomato juice?
Tomato juice…I usde a fresh chopped tomato.
I use ground turkey in place of beef. family enjoys this recipe I make two loaves and freeze one.
THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST MEATLOAFS I HAVE EVER HAD . SO SIMPLE TO MAKE .
Great