Easy Oven Meatloaf Recipe with Mustard Tomato Sauce
Momo’s Meatloaf
Equipment
- Normal Kitchen Utensils
- 1 Baking Dish An 8×11 or 9×13 works. Glass or Metal.
Ingredients
- 1 Lb Ground Beef 80/20 is Preferred
- 8 Oz. Tomato Sauce Try to get one seasoned with basil and oregano. Or add 1/2 tsp each of basil and oregano.
- 1/2 C Bread Crumbs Italian seasoned preferred. Or add 1/2 tsp each of basil and oregano.
- 1/2 C Diced Onion White or Yellow (roughly 1/4 of a medium onion)
- 1 Egg
- 2 tsp Mustard Yellow or Dijon
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt and Pepper to Taste
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°degrees F.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, onion, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, half the tomato sauce, half the mustard, 1 1/2 tsp of the garlic powder, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Mix well and let it sit for a minute or two to let the liquids combine with the breadcrumbs.8 Oz. Tomato Sauce, 1/2 C Bread Crumbs, 1/2 C Diced Onion, 1 Egg, 2 tsp Mustard, 2 tsp Garlic Powder, 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, Salt and Pepper to Taste
- With *clean* hands, add the ground beef to this mixture and knead everything together for 1-2 minutes until very well combined.1 Lb Ground Beef
- Shape the meat mixture into a loaf shape, roughly 4-5 inches wide, and place it into the center of your baking pan or dish. Note: make sure there is open space between the leatloaf and the edges of the dish. You want room for the grease to flow away from the meatloaf, so it isn't swimming in the juices.
- Bake this, uncovered, at 350°F on the bottom shelf for 45 minutes.
- While it bakes, prepare the sauce for the top. Mix the remaining tomato sauce, mustard and garlic powder together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- After 45 minutes of baking, baste the meatloaf evenly with the sauce.
- Bake another at 350°F for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F*.
- Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing into inch-thick pieces.
Notes
Always handle and cook animal products safely.
- Cook poultry (chicken, turkey, duck) to 165°F / 74°C.
- Cook ground meats (beef, pork, lamb, veal) to 160°F / 71°C.
- Cook whole cuts of beef, pork, lamb, veal to 145°F / 63°C and allow to rest for 3 minutes.
- Cook fish and shellfish to 145°F / 63°C.
- Eggs should be cooked until yolks and whites are firm, or use pasteurized eggs for recipes calling for raw or lightly cooked eggs.
Momo’s Meatloaf: A Family Recipe That Sticks With You
R-H-Y-T-H-M. Did you know how to spell rhythm before now? Do you know what is special about the word bookkeeper? (Answer at the bottom of the page.) I do because of my grandmother—who we all call Momo. Momo was an English teacher back in the day. Every year, her students would complain about spelling tests. They would say, “We already know how to spell! Why do we have to take spelling tests?” So she would make them a deal. She would pick one word. If they could spell it, she would skip the test. The word was always rhythm, and they always ended up taking their tests.
Besides never forgetting how to spell rhythm, I will also never forget Momo’s meatloaf recipe. Grandmas always make the best food, but this one sits at the top of the list. For most Christmases, Thanksgivings, birthdays, and even random Sundays, we gather at Momo and Papa’s house. For a while, it was even a daily after-school stop. And Momo always had food ready. Her meatloaf stayed on regular rotation, and it was one of my favorites.
Why This Is a Truly Good Meatloaf
Growing up, I never understood the jokes about meatloaf being dry or bland. This meatloaf was always moist. It always tasted great. It never needed a heavy gravy or a thick ketchup glaze to save it.
Part of the secret sits right on top. Instead of a standard ketchup topping, Momo uses a simple tomato sauce mixed with mustard and garlic powder. It sounds unusual, but it works. The sauce turns slightly tangy, slightly sweet, and very comforting once it bakes into the loaf. When I was younger, she usually used classic yellow mustard. These days, she leans toward Dijon.
Momo also likes to pack as much flavor as possible into the dish. When she shops for tomato sauce, she looks for a can that already includes basil and oregano. If you can find that, use it. If not, just add ½ teaspoon each of dried basil and oregano. She follows the same rule with breadcrumbs. Seasoned breadcrumbs are best. If you only have plain ones, add the same basil and oregano. Give them a quick taste and adjust the salt if needed.
And yes, this is an 80/20 ground beef meatloaf. That ratio keeps the loaf juicy and tender. You’ll also notice something else: garlic is everywhere in this recipe. My family loves garlic, and this meatloaf proves it.
How Momo Bakes the Perfect Meatloaf
This is a classic oven meatloaf recipe, and the process stays simple.
First, shape the loaf and place it in a pan that is wider than the meat itself. This step matters. You want the grease to flow away from the loaf. Letting it sit in its own juices makes it heavy and greasy instead of tender and flavorful.
Bake the loaf at 350°F on the bottom rack for 45 minutes. Then spread the tomato-mustard sauce over the top. Return it to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F*. That timing gives you a moist, fully cooked meatloaf with a flavorful topping.
If you’re looking for a good meatloaf recipe, this one checks all the boxes. It’s easy, classic, and full of flavor. It’s also the one I grew up with, and the one Momo taught me to make myself.
A Recipe Worth Keeping
Momo taught me how to cook this meatloaf, and I wanted to take the time to immortalize it here on the internet. This dish means a lot to me. It’s right up there with my grandpa’s Cajun spaghetti. Both recipes carry memories, stories, and family history in every bite.
If you make this, be sure to serve it with some comforting sides. It goes perfectly with crack mashed potatoes, quick southern-style green beans, or this stovetop mac n cheese recipe.
I hope you love Momo’s meatloaf recipe. It is more than a meal. It is an ode to Momo, her cooking, her teaching, and the many afternoons spent at Momo and Papa’s house.
What’s so special about the word bookkeeper?
“Bookkeeper” and its variations (bookkeeping, bookkeepers, etc.) are the only common words in the English language with three consecutive double letters.
I wrote and edited this post with help from ChatGPT, based on my own tested recipe and original photography.