Mashed Potato Meatloaf puts meatloaf and mashed potatoes into one dish: a tender beef meatloaf with a sweet ketchup and brown sugar glaze, baked, then “frosted” with a thick layer of mashed potatoes, drizzled with butter and browned in a hot oven. It serves 8 and makes a whole comfort-food dinner in one pan.
How to make it: Soak the panko in milk, mix in the beef, eggs, parsley and seasoning, shape a loaf in the pan and brush it with the glaze. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour, rest it 10 minutes while the oven heats to 450°F, spread the mashed potatoes over the top, drizzle with butter and bake 5 to 10 minutes until the potatoes start to brown.
Why You’ll Love It
- Meat and potatoes together: every slice has meatloaf and a cap of mashed potatoes.
- Uses leftovers: 3 cups of prepared mashed potatoes, homemade or left over.
- Classic glaze: ketchup and brown sugar under the potatoes.
- Golden potato top: the mashed potatoes brown in a hot oven.
Ingredient Notes
Ground beef: Two pounds of ground beef or a meatloaf mix of beef, pork and veal.
Panko and milk: One cup of panko stirred into 1/2 cup of milk. The milk soaks into the crumbs and keeps the meatloaf from drying out.
Eggs: Three, beaten. They bind the loaf.
Parsley and seasoning: A quarter cup of chopped parsley, salt and pepper.
The glaze: Half a cup of ketchup mixed with a quarter cup of brown sugar.
Mashed potatoes: Three cups, prepared, plus 2 tablespoons of melted butter to drizzle on top. Keep them thick enough to spread; see below.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 pounds ground beef or meatloaf mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 cups mashed potatoes, prepared
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
How to Make Mashed Potato Meatloaf
1. Heat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
2. Soak the crumbs. Stir the milk and panko together in a mixing bowl.
3. Mix. Add the beef, salt, pepper, parsley and eggs and mix it all together, best done with clean hands.
4. Shape and glaze. Form the mixture into a loaf and place it in the loaf pan. Mix the ketchup and brown sugar and brush it over the top, spreading it to the sides.
5. Bake. Bake for 1 hour, until the center reaches 160°F. Let it sit for 10 minutes while you raise the oven to 450°F.
6. Frost and brown. Spread the mashed potatoes over the top (and sides if you can), drizzle with the melted butter and bake until the potatoes just start to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let it rest about 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
How to Frost a Meatloaf With Mashed Potatoes
The trick is doing it in two stages. The meatloaf bakes on its own first, glaze and all, until it is cooked through. Only then do the potatoes go on, for a short blast in a very hot oven that browns the peaks.
Bake the loaf first. An hour at 350°F cooks a 2-pound loaf through; check that the center reads 160°F, the USDA safe temperature for ground beef. Let it sit 10 minutes while the oven climbs to 450°F.
Make the potatoes thick. Keep them thick, not runny. To make them from scratch, boil 3 to 4 russet potatoes in just enough water to cover until tender, peel and mash them with 1/4 cup of butter, salt and pepper, and add cream a little at a time, 1/4 to 1/2 cup, stopping while the potatoes are still thick. For garlic mashed potatoes, stir in minced garlic, parmesan and a sharp cheese like asiago.
Frost and brown. Spread the potatoes over the top and down the sides of the loaf with a spatula; it doesn’t need to look perfect. Drizzle the melted butter over the potatoes and bake 5 to 10 minutes, until the ridges just start to turn golden. Rest it about 5 minutes before slicing.
Tips for Success
How do I keep meatloaf from drying out?
Soak the panko in the milk before the beef goes in, and mix just until everything comes together. The soaked crumbs keep the loaf moist.
Can I use leftover mashed potatoes?
Yes. Warm them first so they spread easily, and loosen them with a splash of milk only if they are too stiff to spread.
What goes with meatloaf and mashed potatoes?
Green peas, any green vegetable or a simple salad.
Variations
- Loaded: stir crumbled bacon, sour cream, chives and shredded cheddar into 2 cups of warm mashed potatoes. Bake a loaf of beef, seasoned breadcrumbs, milk, egg, ketchup and Worcestershire at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, spread the potatoes on, sprinkle with more cheddar and bake 15 to 20 minutes more, until the meatloaf reaches 160°F. Rest 10 minutes.
- Meatloaf casserole: press 1 pound of seasoned beef with onion, garlic, brown sugar, Worcestershire, Italian breadcrumbs and an egg into an 8-inch square dish. Spread 3 cups of mashed potatoes on top with 1 1/2 cups of cheddar and bacon, cover with foil and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, then uncover for 10 to 15 minutes more.
- With peas and onion soup mix: mix the beef with dry onion soup mix, eggs and thawed peas, press it into an 8×8 pan, cover with mashed potatoes and bake at 350°F for 1 hour.
- Instant Pot: wrap the meatloaf in foil and set it on quartered potatoes on the trivet with 1 cup of water. Cook 35 minutes, quick release, lift out the meatloaf, and mash the potatoes right in the pot with butter and cream.
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 covered in the oven or microwave to 165°F.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with green peas or a salad. For more meatloaf, try old fashioned Momma’s meatloaf, Parmesan meatloaf or French onion meatloaf. For more beef over potatoes, there’s ground beef and gravy over mashed potatoes and Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy and mashed potatoes, and for a cheesy potato side, slow cooker layered cheesy potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do mashed potatoes go with meatloaf?
Yes, they are the classic pairing, and this recipe puts them right on top of the loaf so every slice has both.
What goes best with meatloaf?
Mashed potatoes and green peas are a common plate. With the potatoes baked on, you only need the peas or a salad on the side.
Can I make meatloaf and mashed potatoes in an Instant Pot?
Yes. The foil-wrapped meatloaf cooks on top of the potatoes for 35 minutes, as in the variation above, and the potatoes are mashed right in the pot.
Why frost the meatloaf at 450°F?
The loaf is already cooked, so the short, hot bake only has to brown the potatoes, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Final Notes
Keep the potatoes thick, bake the loaf first, and give the frosted meatloaf a few minutes to rest before slicing. If you have a question or make this, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Mashed Potato Meatloaf
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 pounds ground beef or meatloaf mix
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3 cups mashed potatoes prepared
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Stir the milk and panko together in a mixing bowl.
- Add the beef, salt, pepper, parsley and eggs and mix it all together, best done with clean hands.
- Form the mixture into a loaf and place it in the loaf pan. Mix the ketchup and brown sugar and brush it over the top, spreading it to the sides.
- Bake for 1 hour, until the center reaches 160°F. Let it sit for 10 minutes while you raise the oven to 450°F.
- Spread the mashed potatoes over the top (and sides if you can), drizzle with the melted butter and bake until the potatoes just start to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Let it rest about 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
