No.21 The 100 Most Popular Recipes Ever · October 2026

Meatloaf

Made famous by Irma S. Rombauer

Photo: Renee Comet, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

From Joy of Cooking, 1931 and every edition since.

The American weeknight classic, in every community cookbook since the Depression. Joy's version, with a sweet-sour glaze, is the one most families grew up on.

Written in our own words and tested in a home kitchen. Get the original in Joy of Cooking.

Ingredients

• 1 cup (60 g) fresh bread crumbs (from 2 slices white bread)
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
• 1 tbsp butter or oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb (450 g) ground beef chuck (80/20)
• 1 lb (450 g) ground pork (or more beef)
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 1/2 tsp fine salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• For the glaze: 1/2 cup (120 g) ketchup, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp cider vinegar

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 350F (175C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil or parchment.
2. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk in a large bowl for 5 minutes.
3. Cook the onion in the butter over medium heat until soft, 6 to 8 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute. Cool a few minutes.
4. Add the onion, both meats, eggs, parsley, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper and thyme to the crumbs. Mix gently with your hands just until evenly combined; overworking makes it tough.
5. Shape into a loaf about 9 by 5 inches on the sheet. Stir together the glaze and spread half over the top and sides.
6. Bake 45 minutes. Spread with the rest of the glaze and bake 15 to 25 minutes more, until the center reads 160F (71C) and the glaze is sticky and dark at the edges.
7. Rest 10 minutes before slicing so it holds together.

Chef's tips

• Fry a teaspoon of the raw mix in a pan to taste for salt before shaping.
• Cold leftover meatloaf makes the best sandwich.

This is Chef Amazing's write-up of the dish, tested for a home kitchen. The original is in Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer: get the book, No. 2 on The 100 Greatest Cookbooks.

← No. 20Chicken soup with matzo balls→ No. 22Apple pie