This wonderfully tasty Stove Top Meatloaf combines ground beef with classic Stove Top Stuffing to make a super easy, moist meatloaf dinner! Add a few herbs, an egg, some Worcestershire sauce for flavor, and top it off with ketchup, tomato sauce, or your favorite BBQ sauce for a family-favorite meal!
This easy meatloaf recipe gets a boost of flavor from Stove Top Stuffing!
Is there any other food that screams classic comfort food more than meatloaf?? It really is the ultimate when it comes to a down-home, nostalgic, and very easy meal.
Of course, I certainly don't make everything 'just like Grandma made it' anymore. This meatloaf version isn't from her recipe tin, but I'm still sure that my beloved Granny Janny would approve!
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❤️ Why You'll Love This Recipe!
Super tasty recipe! The trick is to add the best combination of flavors and spices to the ground meat to upgrade what could be a ho-hum main dish!
It’s the easiest meatloaf! Just mix in the Stove Top Stuffing instead of plain breadcrumbs!
Make minis! If I am in a hurry and want the meatloaf to cook faster, I use my mini loaf pans! They are so cute and fun, plus each person gets their own personal meatloaf. The mini loaves are also super easy to freeze because of the size.
🥘 Ingredients
The Stove Top meatloaf ingredients are versatile and typical pantry staples, except for maybe the Stove Top Stuffing. Keep a few boxes on hand to make this yummy meatloaf any day of the week. It is uncomplicated and bursting with flavor!
- Olive Oil – Just to grease the pan, but does add a bit of flavor. I like to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) for best flavor.
- Ground Beef – Choose a higher fat meat for maximum moisture. Lean beef will produce a dry and grainy loaf.
- Stove Top Stuffing (boxed mix) – This classic boxed stuffing can be found in any grocery store, typically near the instant mashed potatoes. Any flavor of the Stove Top brand stuffing will work, but I like the Savory Herb and Traditional Sage flavors the most.
- Milk – I like to use a higher fat content milk for richness, but any type of milk works wonderfully. You can also use water or beef broth (adds great flavor) as your liquid.
- Egg – Always a great binding agent, the egg acts to hold meatloaf ingredients together.
- Ketchup – Used for both the meatloaf mixture and as a glaze on the outside. Tomato paste or BBQ sauce work well also.
- Garlic – A wonderful addition to any meatloaf, garlic adds its unique depth of flavor to everything!
- Italian Seasoning – A readily available dried blend of basil, oregano, sage, and thyme. Chopped parsley can also be used instead.
- Worcestershire Sauce – Slightly sour and a bit sweet, with a rich flavor to make your meatloaf that 'extra special' bit better. Don't like Worcestershire sauce? Swap out A1 steak sauce instead!
- Salt and Pepper – These staple spices highlight all of the ingredients' flavors!
💭 Tips & Recipe Notes
Be sure not to over-mix the ingredients – it could result in a dry, dense, or tough meatloaf.
Mix with your hands just enough to combine everything. The loaf will get mixed a bit more when you are shaping it for the pan – but even then, try to shape it loosely to avoid drying it out.
Allow the meatloaf to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
This ensures maximum juiciness and the loaf will hold together much better when slicing and serving.
Save the pan juices after you remove the cooked meatloaf from your loaf pan.
Your pan juices are perfect (and quite flavorful) for pouring over your sliced meatloaf when serving. Doing so also adds any lost moisture back into your meal.
To feed a large gathering, double the recipe!
Use 2x the ingredients, then transfer the meatloaf mixture into a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan. Bake at a bit higher temp (375°F vs 350°F) for slightly longer.
Check the internal temperature of your meatloaf after 1 hour 25 minutes of cooking time. When cooking for a longer time, I suggest covering the meatloaf with a sheet of aluminum foil for the first hour. Then remove and finish cooking your doubled Stove Top meatloaf.
📖 Variations
If you are looking to make this recipe even easier, you can use brown gravy mix for flavor, reducing the recipe to 4 or 5 ingredients! Or add veggies for a wonderfully filling and incredibly tasty meatloaf!
Brown Gravy Mix - To make this version, use 2 pounds of ground beef, a 6-ounce box of Stove Top Stuffing combined with 1 cup of hot water, 1 packet of brown gravy mix combined with 1 cup of cold water, and 2 large eggs.
After the stuffing has sat in the hot water for about 5 minutes, combine all of the ingredients. Add your preferred topping, then bake as directed in the recipe card below.
Vegetable Blend - Adding sauteed vegetables will not only up the vitamins and the flavor, but it will also add moisture and texture to the meatloaf. Onions, celery, bell peppers, yellow squash, zucchini, and carrots are great additions!
Be sure to chop your veggies up so that they are small pieces or put them in a food processor before lightly sautéing in a small amount of olive oil or butter.
Eggless - You can use 1 teaspoon of unflavored gelatin. Simply dissolve it in half a cup of beef stock and let it sit for a bit. This is a wonderful binding ingredient!
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
Quick and easy is what my Stove Top meatloaf is all about! Grab a mixing bowl, your ingredients, and a loaf pan to get dinner started!
- Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease the inside of the pan with extra virgin olive oil and set to the side.
- Add meatloaf ingredients. Next, using a large bowl, add the ground beef, egg, stuffing mix, milk, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, all seasonings, and half of the ketchup (reserve the other half for the topping).
- Combine but don't over-mix. Mix ingredients with your clean hands (or wear gloves for easier clean-up) until fully combined.
- Shape the loaf. Transfer the meat mixture into your greased pan, pressing it down slightly to shape the meatloaf. Go along the edges, using either your fingers or a spoon, pressing down next to the sides of the pan to create a well.
- Topping. Spread the reserved ketchup (or BBQ sauce or tomato paste) over the top of the meat.
- Cook the meatloaf. Place your meatloaf in the oven to bake at 350°F (175°C) for one hour or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (72°C) as read by a digital meat thermometer.
- Rest then serve. Remove from the oven and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
This crowd-pleasing meatloaf is just as good as leftovers! Make sure to save some for tasty meatloaf sandwiches too!
Want to make this meatloaf in the air fryer?? Follow the instructions for mixing the meatloaf ingredients, then see my air fryer meatloaf instructions for cooking it up!
🥗 Sides
This Stove Top meatloaf dish won’t be complete without a side dish of creamy roasted garlic mashed potatoes – it is a food combo made in heaven!
Add some garlic green beans or sauteed asparagus with cherry tomatoes and a simple green salad and you have the world’s most perfect comfort meal that your family will dig into and devour!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Refrigerating
A properly cooked meatloaf will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Be sure to cool the meatloaf completely, then store it in an airtight container or wrapped securely in plastic cling film or heavy-duty aluminum foil.
Freezing
If you decide to freeze the leftover meatloaf, simply make sure it is completely cooled and then wrap tightly with heavy-duty foil (freezer bags work also), and place in an air-tight container. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months!
Reheating
To re-heat, my favorite method is to simply place the leftover meatloaf in an oven-safe dish and add a bit of water or beef broth. Cover with aluminum foil, place on the center rack of your oven, and heat at 250°F (120°C).
Your meatloaf should be heated through in 25-30 minutes, but check to make sure you’re not overheating, which will draw out the moisture. *The amount of time it takes to reheat leftover meatloaf will depend on the portion size of your meatloaf!
❓ FAQ
Yes, you definitely can. However, the glaze on top of the meatloaf works really well for retaining moisture and keeping the meatloaf super juicy.
Yes – but please don’t eat raw meat! Simply take a spoonful of the mixture and cook it in a frying pan before tasting. Then adjust the meatloaf seasoning as needed.
Of course! My favorite combo is beef and pork, but you can also mix in lamb or veal. Just remember to keep the ratios close to 80-85% meat with 15-20% fat for maximum moisture.
📋 Recipe
Stove Top Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (extra virgin)
- 2 lbs ground beef (80-85% lean ground beef)
- 6 oz Stove Top Stuffing (boxed mix)
- ¼ cup milk (beef broth or water can work)
- 1 large egg
- 8 Tbsp ketchup (divided in half, half in the loaf the other half on top of the meatloaf - you also can use tomato paste or BBQ sauce)
- 1 Tbsp garlic (minced)
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning (or chopped parsley)
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 1 tsp each, salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lightly grease the interior of your loaf pan.
- In a large mixing bowl add the ground beef, stuffing mix, milk, egg, half of the ketchup, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and all the seasoning. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the ketchup (or tomato paste or BBQ sauce) for the topping.
- Using clean hands or latex gloves, mix all ingredients thoroughly until well incorporated.
- Put the meat mixture into your loaf pan, press it evenly throughout the pan. Go along the edges and push down with your fingers or a spoon to create a well.
- Spread the remaining 4 Tbsp of ketchup (or tomato paste or BBQ sauce) over the top of the meatloaf.
- Bake in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for an hour or continue baking until meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160°F (72°C).
- Remove from the oven and allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Love new recipes. I will try this recipe. Thanks so much
Tried it tonight,was a hit.
I've been making meatloaf this way for over 20 years. I always kept it a secret but guess it's out now. 💕
I love it! I had another lady tell me that at some time years ago, this was published in a regional booklet (like a chamber of commerce for a state). I'm going to have to go find that now...