A meatloaf with a tomato sauce topping.

Meatloaf is a meat dish consisting of seasoned ground meat (usually ground beef or a combination of ground beef with veal, lamb, or pork), which is formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on an ordinary baking pan. During the Great Depression it was popular to add cereal grains to the meatloaf to stretch the meat; the tradition lives on with the merits of producing a lower-fat dish with superior binding and consistency. It is normally served warm as part of the main course, but can also be found sliced as a cold cut. This article is about the singer. ... Image File history File links Meatloaf. ... For other uses, see Meat (disambiguation). ... Seasoning is the process of adding flavours, or enhancing natural flavour of any type of food. ... Image:Minced beef USDA.jpg Minced beef in industrial grinder Ground beef, beef mince or hamburger meat, is a meat product, made of beef finely chopped by a meat grinder. ... Veal is the meat of young calves (usually male) appreciated for its delicate taste and tender texture. ... For other uses, see Pork (disambiguation). ... Cooking is the act of preparing food. ... A bread pan is a kitchen utensil in which bread is cooked. ... For other uses, see The Great Depression (disambiguation). ... Grain redirects here. ... For English DJ duo, see Coldcut. ...

Many meatloaf recipes are interchangeable with meatball recipes, the distinction coming from choice of sauce and accompaniments. Many of these recipes call for pasta sauce or tomato sauce to be poured over the loaf to form a crust during baking. In the Midwestern United States, the sauce has been replaced with simple gravy but is prepared in a similar manner. Barbecue sauce may also be used. For other uses, see Meatball (disambiguation). ... This article is about the Midwestern region in the United States. ... The St. ...

A meatloaf served with sauce.

Meatloaf is an extremely versatile dish. The ground meat is frequently mixed with breadcrumbs, small pieces of bread soaked in milk (or red wine or another liquid), wheat germ, or oatmeal, and eggs in order to make it more dough-like. Salt, herbs and spices (such as parsley), as well as chopped vegetables (such as onions, green peppers and celery), may also be added. Another variety of meatloaf is prepared by frosting it with mashed potatoes, drizzling it with a small amount of butter, and browning in the oven. Some people like to add strips of bacon on top. Furthermore, meatloaves may be filled with eggs, cheese, vegetables, herbs, mushrooms, or a combination of these ingredients. Meatloaf is typically eaten with some kind of sauce or relish. The dish can be considered Italian (it is a cousin to the meatball), Midwestern, or even soul food. Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2700 × 1800 pixel, file size: 564 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2700 × 1800 pixel, file size: 564 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Breadcrumbs or bread crumbs are small particles of dry or very dry bread, which are used for breading foods, topping casseroles, stuffing poultry, thickening stews, and adding inexpensive bulk to meatloaves and similar dishes. ... A glass of cows milk. ... For other uses, see Wine (disambiguation). ... Wheat germ is the heart of the wheat kernel - a concentrated source of several essential nutrients including Vitamin E, folate (folic acid), phosphorus, thiamin, zinc and magnesium. ... In the United States and Canada, oatmeal means any crushed oats, rolled oats, or cut oats used in recipes such as oatmeal cookies. ... Chicken egg (left) and quail eggs (right), the types of egg commonly used as food An egg is a body consisting of an ovum surrounded by layers of membranes and an outer casing of some type, which acts to nourish and protect a developing embryo. ... Dough Dough is a paste made out of any cereals (grains) or leguminous crops by grinding with small amount of water. ... This article is about common table salt. ... For other uses, see Herb (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Spice (disambiguation). ... This article is about the herb. ... For other uses, see Vegetable (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Onion (disambiguation). ... Species   (incl. ... Binomial name L. Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. ... For other uses, see Butter (disambiguation). ... Cheese is a solid food made from the milk of cows, goats, sheep, and other mammals. ... For other uses, see Mushroom (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Sauce (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Relish (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Meatball (disambiguation). ... Midwestern cuisine in the United States features simple dishes such as pot roast, sausage, scrapple, pancakes and other comfort foods. ... For other uses, see Soul food (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Salisbury steak

This article is about the meat dish. ...

External links

• Recipes at the wiki cookbook
• Cajun Meatloaf recipe at The Accidental Smallholder