Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce is the old-fashioned kind: a tender, juicy beef loaf seasoned with onion, thyme and Worcestershire, with tomato sauce mixed right into the meat and a sweet, tangy tomato topping baked on top. It is classic Sunday dinner comfort food that is easy enough for a weeknight and feeds six.
How to make meatloaf with tomato sauce: Mix ground beef with most of an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce, bread crumbs, egg, onion and seasonings. Shape it into a loaf, spread on a topping of the remaining sauce with brown sugar and dry mustard, and bake at 350°F for 1 hour, until 160°F. Rest 10 minutes and slice.
Why You’ll Love It
- No ketchup needed: one can of tomato sauce flavors the meat and the topping.
- Sweet and tangy top: a spoonful of sugar and a little mustard turn plain tomato sauce into a glaze.
- Pantry ingredients: ground beef, bread crumbs, an egg, an onion and spices.
- Feeds 6: with leftovers for meatloaf sandwiches.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: A pound and a half of lean ground beef (93% lean or leaner).
Tomato sauce: One 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce, divided. A quarter cup goes into the topping and the rest into the meat. Use tomato sauce, not tomato paste or pasta sauce.
Soft bread crumbs: One cup, made by tearing or pulsing fresh bread. They help hold the loaf together. Crushed saltine crackers are a good swap.
Egg and onion: One egg binds the loaf; one small onion, finely chopped, seasons it.
Seasonings: Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, garlic salt and black pepper go into the meat. The topping gets packed brown sugar and a teaspoon of mustard powder.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef (93% lean or leaner)
- 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce, divided
- 1 cup soft bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
How to Make Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce
1. Make the topping. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce, the brown sugar and the dry mustard. Set aside.
2. Mix the meatloaf. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the tomato sauce with the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but lightly.
3. Shape. Shape the mixture into an 8×4 1/2-inch loaf on the rack of a broiler pan, keeping the top flat. Spread the topping over the loaf.
4. Bake. Bake for 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F.
5. Rest. Let the meatloaf stand 10 minutes before slicing.
Tomato Sauce in Two Places
This meatloaf gets its tomato flavor twice. Most of the can goes straight into the meat mixture, so the tomato runs through every slice instead of sitting only on top. The last quarter cup becomes the topping: stirred with a spoonful of brown sugar and a little dry mustard, it bakes into a sweet, tangy glaze that tastes like a grown-up ketchup.
Shape the loaf with a flat top rather than a rounded dome. A flat top gives the sauce somewhere to sit, so it stays on the meatloaf instead of sliding down the sides into the pan.
Bake it on the rack of a broiler pan, or on a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. The fat drips away below. I line the bottom pan with foil, which makes cleanup quick. When you check for doneness, push the thermometer into the thickest part of the loaf, right in the middle, not near an end.
Tips for Success
Why is my meatloaf tough?
It was overmixed. Combine the ingredients with your hands only until everything is evenly mixed, then stop.
Why is the topping too dark?
It went on at the start of a long bake. Next time, bake the loaf plain for 30 minutes, then spread on the topping and finish baking until the center reaches temperature.
Variations
- Four-pepper meatloaf: add 1/3 cup finely chopped green bell pepper, 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper to the meat.
- Picadillo-style: leave out the thyme and add 1/3 cup chopped green bell pepper, 1/4 cup raisins, 1 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano.
- Southern-style: mix chopped green bell pepper into the meat along with the onion.
- Tangier topping: stir a splash of white or cider vinegar into the tomato topping.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat slices in the oven or microwave until they reach 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve meatloaf the classic way with mashed potatoes, like garlic Parmesan mashed potato cups, and a green vegetable such as smothered green beans. Buttered corn, roasted carrots or a simple green salad round out the plate, and warm dinner rolls are good for mopping up the extra tomato glaze. Leftover slices make classic meatloaf sandwiches on soft bread with a little extra sauce. If you want to try a different meatloaf, there is the ketchup-glazed Momma’s meatloaf, Parmesan meatloaf and French onion meatloaf, and for another ground beef dinner, hamburger steaks with onion mushroom gravy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use tomato sauce instead of ketchup for meatloaf glaze?
Yes. Plain tomato sauce is less sweet than ketchup, so sweeten it with a little sugar and sharpen it with mustard, as in this recipe, to make it glossy and tangy.
What is the secret to a great meatloaf?
Mix it lightly, bake it to 160°F in the center and let it rest before you slice it.
Can I use crackers instead of bread crumbs?
Yes. Crushed saltine crackers work well as the binder in place of soft bread crumbs.
Final Notes
Check the center with a thermometer rather than trusting the clock. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 93% lean or leaner
- 1 can tomato sauce 8 ounces, divided
- 1 cup soft bread crumbs
- 1 egg
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves crushed
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar packed
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup of the tomato sauce, the brown sugar and the dry mustard. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the rest of the tomato sauce with the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, onion, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, garlic salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly but lightly.
- Shape the mixture into an 8x4 1/2-inch loaf on the rack of a broiler pan, keeping the top flat. Spread the topping over the loaf.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer in the center reads 160°F.
- Let the meatloaf stand 10 minutes before slicing.
