Meatloaf has to be one of my favorite comfort foods. There’s just something about a good ol’ meatloaf that warms the soul. Not to mention the fact that it’s also my favorite leftover. A big slab of meatloaf sandwiched between some gummy white bread slathered with Duke’s mayo… YUM! It doesn’t get much better.
And it’s worth mentioning that I’m not a gravy-with-your-meatloaf kinda guy either. Tomatoes all the way. And even better… ketchup! (I could go on here all day about my obsession with ketchup – and I do mean ketchup, not catsup – and the fact that in my house there will only ever be one brand of ketchup, but I won’t.)
Here’s my take on a super simple meatloaf that is just about as easy as it is good. No chopping here! Which makes it perfect for those busy weeknights. And it’s a bit smaller than most meatloaves, so it cooks a little faster, too.
Two things of note:
1. The recipe calls for ground chuck. Since this cooks for a while, we want a little extra fat in the meat so we don’t end up with a dry meatloaf.
2. Now, check out this nifty little can of tomatoes. It’s got the green pepper and onion right in it. How awesome is this?? They did the work for you! This is why it’s “quick and easy” meatloaf! Now sometimes I can only find it with pepper, onion, and celery, but that works just as well and doesn’t taste like celery at all.
Test it out and come back and comment below and let me know what you think. I always WELCOME your suggestions and comments. Also, have fun with it and let me know what you do to make it your own.
Recipe Card
Quick and Easy Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground chuck
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with onion, green pepper, and celery, drained
- 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
Sauce
- 1/3 cup ketchup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil or spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.
- Combine ground beef, soy sauce, salt, pepper, egg, tomatoes, and oats and mix to combine, but be cautious about overmixing.
- Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan or dish (Yep, no loaf pan here!) and form into a loaf in the center of the dish.
- Mix ketchup, mustard and brown sugar together for topping.
- Spread topping over loaf.
- Bake for 45 mins to 1 hour or until cooked through. The center should read 160°F when using an instant read thermometer. Allow to rest for about 10 minutes then slice and serve.
* If nutritional values are provided, they are an estimate and will vary depending on the brands used. The values do not include optional ingredients or when ingredients are added to taste. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, I recommend grabbing your favorite brands and plugging those ingredients into an online nutritional calculator.
Andrea
I found this recipe about 8 years ago and now won’t even use another recipe. This not only fabulous but very simple as well. Don’t pass this recipe up.
So happy to hear that this one has been your go-to!
Borderrooster
I’ll be trying this recipe tonight with Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies. I found your recipe because I wanted to know if this combination was even a thing. Thank you for giving me the confidence, Stacey.
P.S. So, what IS your go to ketchup?
Hope it turns out great for you! In this house the ketchup is Heinz and the mayo is Duke’s. 🙂
Janie Seymour
I’m going to try your recipe. Love meatloaf! Why do you not use a loaf pan?
I hope you enjoy it! Baking it in a 9×13 or a rimmed baking sheet (larger vessel) allows for more grease to drain away! With this you have less risk of a greasy meatloaf!
Connie
Nothing like meatloaf… as my grandkids call it old people food!
I wanted to do something differently and quick with a meat loaf recipe…they can become boring….so I decided to check out yours out for a change up. Any other time I would have a can of diced tomatoes with celery and onions on hand but didn’t that day….. did have a can of stewed tomatoes… so I tried that , I didn’t have quick oats on hand I used bread crumbs they were ok.. the soy sauce was different for me also .. recipe turned out fantastic loved it… sad to say no leftovers for that meatloaf sandwich …my diced tomatoes and quick oats are in my cart at Walmart…. so I can follow the posted recipe….family enjoyed the recipe and I enjoyed it better than mine..
We to are ketchup and/or hot sauce on the meat loaf…and ketchup is classified as a vegetable at our home!!!
Many blessings to you and the family!!
Thanks so much, Connie! Glad to hear y’all enjoyed it!
Shelley
Canned diced tomatoes with onion, green pepper, and celery NOT AVAILABLE Anymore..BUT…
I made this meatloaf close to the time you first published it, but I can no longer find cans of diced tomatoes with onion, green pepper, and celery. So I have substituted frozen Pictsweet Seasoning Blend which has the same blend of chopped vegetable seasonings. Of course I still use canned diced tomatoes. Pictsweet works well and makes a delicious meatloaf. I used about 1/2 bag for two meatloaves. But the first time I made it I didn’t thaw the seasoning blend first and it turned the meatloaf runny though it still tasted delicious. Now I thaw the seasoning mix first to get the water out. This is a delicious meatloaf.
Thanks for sharing the update along with your tips, Shelley!
Danielle Johnson
Could you use 1/2 c bread crumbs with 1/2 c milk like in your other meatloaf recipe?
Sure!
Michele
Maybe I missed something? This wasn’t my favorite. I followed the recipe exactly and it tasted salty and bland and the topping was so “vinegary”. Everyone kept asking if I added vinegar to the sauce. Too much mustard, I think. I do love your blog and am trying some other recipes, but I think I’ll stick to my tried and true meatloaf recipe.
Hate to hear it didn’t turn out well for you. Have you tried my Secret Ingredient Meatloaf?
Rickie
Appreciating the commitment you put injto your site and detailed information you provide.
It’s great to come across a bllg ever oncce
in a while tat isn’t the same old rehashed material.
Fantastic read! I’ve bookmarked our site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account.
SA Matthews
Regular Soy Sauce has gluten (Wheat) in it. May I suggest Tamari? It is gluten free for those of you that can’t eat wheat. Thanks.
Nicoal
I’m going to make this, Nana’s mac ‘n cheese (with hoop cheese!) and fried corn tonight. I can hardly wait! Thanks so much!
I’m coming to your house for supper! 🙂
Nicoal
Lol! We’ll set a plate out for you! 🙂
David Giles
I’ve been working on my meatloaf recipe for several years and you are one of the only other people that uses oatmeal as the bread component. Although mine does double the number of meats to four – beef, pork, lamb and bacon. Usually I’ll cook mine in either a 9″ cast iron skillet or 9″ cake pan. I saute the onions and bell peppers before adding them to meat mixture along with roasted garlic cloves and a couple of eggs. The inside of the skillet is wrapped in bacon then the meatloaf is ‘plopped’ inside with more bacon on top. Will cook 350 degrees for 35 minutes, pour of grease, cook another 35 minutes, pour of grease and then spread apply a thin layer of ketchup on top and bake for another 30 minutes or until internal temp is 160F. Good hot or cold.
Sounds delicious!!
Rickey Steinke
WoW Stacey,
What a wealth of information. Thank you so much for your blog. I’ve recently found I get a kick out of cooking for my family and friends. So finding great recipes on your site is such a hoot. Thank you.
I hope you’ll find lots you enjoy, Rickey!
James Hall
My wife loves this meat loaf,the only thing I changed was ,I doubled the recipe,used a 28 ounce can of plan petite tomatoes juice and all,1 tbs soy sauce,1tbs Worcester sauce.And let sit in the fridge for about 30 min to let the oats absorb the moisture,she said it was the smoothest tasting she has ever had.
I’m so happy to hear that, James! So glad y’all enjoy it!
Weldaleen Satterwhite
Are you sure the canned tomatoes are in an 8 oz. can? It looks like the 14.5 size to me. I don’t think diced tomatoes come in the 8 oz. Do you drain or use juice and all? Please advise.
Hi Weldaleen! It is the 14.5 ounce can and you do drain them. Please let me know if you have any other questions. 🙂
Emily
My meatloaf liquid is usually worcestershire sauce but I’ll have to give soy sauce a try! 🙂
Teresa
I have never used soy sauce before in a meatloaft but this meatloaft came out perfect. I made it Ina 7by 11 pan . Thank you Stacey.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Bobbi Jo
Can you make this in the slow cooker
I’ve never tried it before, but I don’t see what not. If you do try it, please come back and let em know how it turns out. 🙂
Bernice
Made this for dinner last night and while I have a recipe that was similar this turned out way moist and delicious.
My grandson enjoyed it tremendously and he is not a big meateater.
So glad it turned out greta for you!
ANGELA
I hate celery but tried it anyway could not even tell.
It was very good and easy.
Wonderful! So glad you gave it a “go”! My wife is not a big celery fan either, but she loves this recipe.
My family is the same way! Sometimes you just have to pull the wool over their eyes. My folks usually never notice!
judi
this sounds so good, the engineer is saying whoa on the tomatoes but sometimes you just need to create things behind closed kitchen doors and present them with no extra info. this will be my secret creation this week
Deb
Absolutely! This is a fabulous meatloaf. Folks are always wanting to know the recipe.