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Active Time
30 min
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Total Time
1 1/2 hr
This is the perfect antidote to the Sunday blues, not least because there will be enough left over to pack sandwiches for Monday's lunch. A mix of beef, pork, and bacon ensures meatiness, with Worcestershire sauce, chopped prunes, and cider vinegar added for good balance and occasional suggestions of sweetness. Because the loaf is baked without a loaf pan, there's plenty of well-browned crust to go around.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings with leftovers
Step 1
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Step 2
Soak bread crumbs in milk in a large bowl.
Step 3
Meanwhile, cook onion, garlic, celery, and carrot in butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low, then cook until carrot is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Add to bread-crumb mixture.
Step 4
Finely chop bacon and prunes in a food processor, then add to onion mixture along with beef, pork, eggs, and parsley and mix together with your hands.
Step 5
Pack mixture into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan.
Step 6
Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of meatloaf registers 155°F, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
Cooked meatloaf keeps, chilled, 3 days.
Leave a Review
Reviews (373)
Back to TopThis meatloaf was delicious. Now, I had to change a couple of things, I only had a package of bison and one of lamb so that is the meat I used. Because they are not high fat meats, I believe it could have been a bit more tender. But the soaked breadcrumbs were key. I had prechopped bacon bits (costco) and added them to the meat and the smoky flavor was delicious. I sprinkled some on top as well. Also, I didn't have alspice so I used chinese 5 spice. Of course I always add more garlic than any recipe calls for, just because - who wouldn't! It only took an hour to cook until perfect. Well, next time I will follow the recipe to a t and see how it compares!
Mara Catherine Sippel
Mountain View, CA
1/29/2022
This meatloaf has become a family favorite, and asked for repeatedly. I have made it with additional spice of cinnamon on occasion, and still find the original recipe is not to be beat.
Anonymous
10/20/2021
I've been making this for 10 years and it is ALWAYS a hit. Best Meatloaf ever.
juliemullermccormick
Annapolis, MD
1/24/2021
People request the recipe every time I make this. I use all beef rather than beef/pork mixture. Excellent.
sfulton99
San Diego
1/23/2021
This was sooo good. Followed the instructions and it was like magic :)
jgreene8684
Phila, PA
10/14/2020
I also used to hate meatloaf but love this recipe. I bake it on a bed of canned diced tomatoes with a little rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper which then makes a great sauce to serve over noodles or mashed potatoes. I also top it with provolone but I’ve done the unaltered recipe and it’s just as good. I just like cheese.
litalongmi
Sahn Dieahgo, CA
9/8/2020
yes - form it in the pan, then cook it outside of the pan. Not confusing at all and the best meatloaf recipe I have ever made. Consistently asked for by family when I have them over.
alisonpaul
Turino
4/27/2019
confused -- the recipe notes say that it is baked outside a loaf pan and then the recipe itself says, incomprehensibly, "Pack mixture into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf in a 13- by 9-inch shallow baking dish or pan." What does this mean? You pack it into a loaf pan to make it have a shape, and then you upend it onto a shallow baking dish or pan?
Gcullman
NYC
4/16/2019
I see from my recipes notes that I’ve been making this foolproof recipe for ten years! It’s been a hit since the first time I made it. Another reviewer on this site asked if the bacon is cooked or uncooked. I choose to coarsely chop the uncooked bacon, fry it, drain it, chop it finely, together with the pitted prunes, in mini food processor then add the bacon/prune mixture to the remaining ingredients as outlined in recipe. Perfection!
a_1_cook
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
2/23/2019
Delicious but I used chopped dates, eliminated the bacon and it’s moist & yummy. I added a tsp of cumin for a kick. But your photo is horrible. If I could send my photo, it looks 100% better. Update it please
ginnylmom
Emmaus, PA
1/7/2019
Really great recipe but it looks a lot better when you cross-cross 4 pieces of bacon on top like lattice. The picture provided is horrible.
scotia6
Toronto
10/25/2018
I've made this recipe for years and it is one of my all time favorites. In fact, this is the only review I've ever left. The only thing I change is that I wait to mix the milk into the mixture until after the sautéed mixtures and breadcrumbs are together. Otherwise, I've found that there is not enough milk for the breadcrumbs and it can for clumps that are hard to get rid of.
julstahl
Annapolis, MD
10/17/2018
Best meatloaf recipe, have made it over and over again and everyone always loves it.
jessinparis
Paris
10/6/2018
This was by far the best tasting meatloaf I have ever made or ever had! My husband & son concurred. It was moist, without falling apart, the flavors were awesome and the next day, it was just as moist. I used Seasoned bread crumbs and some non seasoned Panko, as that was what I had at the time. Making it again!
wndhamgirl
Windham, NH
2/25/2018
This is our favorite meatloaf recipe but we use Oats instead of bread crumbs. My husband also makes a glaze which I think he co-opted from another Epi recipe using roughly 3T ketchup, 2T dijon mustard, 2T honey, 2T raspberry jam (or whatever we have on hand) 1T hot mango chutney and 1T soy.
segone40
Shepherdstown, WV
2/8/2018
