Grammy's Recipe Book Mains

Jackie's Meatloaf

From Jackie O'Brien350°F oven

Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr
Rest
10 minrest before slicing
Total
1 hr 25 minstart to eating

Times are our estimates for Grammy's recipe, with unhurried prep.

Grammy's handwritten page for Jackie's Meatloaf
Page 9 · full size

As written

Word for word from her page, with her spelling and line breaks. [?] marks a word we couldn't read.

Jackie's Meatloaf

2 lbs ground round
1/2 pkg Lipton onion soup
1 or 2 eggs
Worcestor sauce
ketchup
1/2 c breadcrumbs

Put ketchup on top

Bake 350° approx 1 hour

Grammy's recipe

Her recipe, typed out to cook from: her amounts and her words, with abbreviations spelled out and the steps numbered.

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground round
  • ½ package Lipton onion soup mix
  • 1 or 2 eggs
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • Ketchup, for the top

Method

  1. Mix the ground round, onion soup mix, eggs, a few dashes of Worcestershire and the breadcrumbs, and shape into a loaf.
  2. Put ketchup on top.
  3. Bake at 350° for about 1 hour.

Modernized

A present-day cookbook version, with missing steps filled in. These are suggestions, not her words.

Ingredients

Meatloaf

  • 2 pounds ground beef (85% lean)
  • ½ packet (about 2 tablespoons) Lipton onion soup mix
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs soaked in ⅓ cup milk
  • ¼ cup ketchup

Glaze

  • ½ cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Method

  1. Heat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
  2. Stir the breadcrumbs into the milk and let them soak 5 minutes.
  3. Add the beef, soup mix, eggs, Worcestershire and ¼ cup ketchup. Mix gently with your hands until just combined.
  4. Shape into a 9×5-inch loaf on the sheet. A free-form loaf browns on all sides.
  5. Stir the glaze together and spread half over the loaf.
  6. Bake 45 minutes, spread on the rest of the glaze, and bake 15–20 minutes more, until it reads 160°F in the center.
  7. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Ideas to play with

Twists and variations to try. Suggestions, not hers.

  • Half beef, half pork

    Use a pound of each for a more tender loaf.

  • Sneak in vegetables

    Add a grated carrot and a finely chopped sautéed onion.

  • Meatloaf muffins

    Bake in a muffin tin for 20–25 minutes. Easy for kids and quick on a weeknight.

  • Next-day sandwich

    Cold slices on toasted bread with extra ketchup, the way many families love it best.