Prep time: 30 mins | Cook time: 45 mins | Total hour: 1 hr 15 mins | Servings: 10 | Yield: 1 meatloaf
My kids love this hearty meatloaf. It’s our go-to meal for chilly weather and winter evenings with mashed potatoes and mushroom gravy.
Ingredients
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Meatloaf:
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
½ onion, coarsely chopped
½ red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
4 white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
2 ½ lbs ground chuck
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Egg, beaten
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 c. plain bread crumbs
1 tsp olive oil
Glaze:
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
hot pepper sauce to taste
How to make Classic Meatloaf
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 325 degrees F.
Step 2: In a food processor, place the carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. Pulse until everything is almost pureed. Transfer the minced vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Into the bowl with the minced vegetables, mix in the ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Season with Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix the mixture, then pour in the bread crumbs. Mix again using your hands for about a minute until just combined.
Step 4: Make the meatloaf into a ball.
Step 5: Into a baking dish, pour the olive oil, then place the meatball in it, shaping the ball into about 4 inches high and 4 inches across the loaf.
Step 6: Place inside the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the meatloaf is hot.
Step 7: In the meantime, combine the brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Add in the brown sugar, stirring until dissolved.
Step 8: Take the meatloaf out of the oven, then smooth the glaze using the back of a spoon over the meatloaf, pulling a bit of glaze down the sides.
Step 9: Bake the meatloaf for another 30 to 40 minutes until no longer pink inside and the glaze has baked into the loaf. Insert an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the loaf and when it reads at least 160 degrees F or 70 degrees C the meatloaf is done. The cooking time varies depending on the shape and thickness of the loaf.
Nutrition Facts:
Per Serving: 284 Calories | Protein 21.6g | Carbohydrates 14.8g | Fat 14.9g | Cholesterol 85.3mg | Sodium 755.4mg.

Ingredients
- Meatloaf:
- 1 carrot, coarsely chopped
- 1 rib celery, coarsely chopped
- ½ onion, coarsely chopped
- ½ red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 4 white mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 ½ lbs ground chuck
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 c. plain bread crumbs
- 1 tsp olive oil
- Glaze:
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- hot pepper sauce to taste
Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the oven. Preheat it to 325 degrees F.
Step 2: In a food processor, place the carrot, celery, onion, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic. Pulse until everything is almost pureed. Transfer the minced vegetables into a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Into the bowl with the minced vegetables, mix in the ground chuck, Worcestershire sauce, and egg. Season with Italian herbs, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Using a wooden spoon, gently mix the mixture, then pour in the bread crumbs. Mix again using your hands for about a minute until just combined.
Step 4: Make the meatloaf into a ball.
Step 5: Into a baking dish, pour the olive oil, then place the meatball in it, shaping the ball into about 4 inches high and 4 inches across the loaf.
Step 6: Place inside the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes until the meatloaf is hot.
Step 7: In the meantime, combine the brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard, and hot sauce in a small bowl. Add in the brown sugar, stirring until dissolved.
Step 8: Take the meatloaf out of the oven, then smooth the glaze using the back of a spoon over the meatloaf, pulling a bit of glaze down the sides.
Step 9: Bake the meatloaf for another 30 to 40 minutes until no longer pink inside and the glaze has baked into the loaf. Insert an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the loaf and when it reads at least 160 degrees F or 70 degrees C the meatloaf is done. The cooking time varies depending on the shape and thickness of the loaf.