Skim by Section
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Two Recipes in One
This is the ultimate 2-for-1 recipe! The same flavorful mix of ingredients can be shaped into a classic Italian meatloaf or rolled into tasty meatballs. It’s all about what you’re craving—comfort-food slices or saucy little bites.
Perfect for Pasta Nights
Meatballs and spaghetti are a classic for a reason! Toss them in marinara over a bed of pasta or pile them onto a sub roll with melty Mozarella cheese to make meatball subs. With Italian seasonings, bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, and ketchup, these meatballs pack bold, savory flavor.
Lean and Delicious
Starting with lean ground beef makes a huge difference—it keeps the meatloaf looking neat and not greasy. Want to lighten things up even more? Go half-and-half with ground turkey and beef, or use all turkey for a healthier twist that’s still full of flavor.
Classic Meatloaf Comfort
Nothing says cozy dinner like a warm slice of meatloaf. Pair it with creamy mashed potatoes and your favorite veggie or salad, and you’ve got a meal that feels like a hug on a plate. This recipe makes a juicy, tender loaf that never disappoints.
Easy Sides, Big Flavor
Here’s a time-saving tip: roast your veggies right alongside the meatloaf on the same baking sheet. A drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt is all they need. Carrots, green beans, or whatever you have on hand come out caramelized and delicious, making the whole dinner easy and fuss-free.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
Here's a look at what you'll need to make the mixture you can turn into either Italian meatloaf or meatballs.
- Ground beef. Choose a lean ground beef to prevent soggy meatloaf. Sub ground turkey in part or fully if you'd like.
- Eggs
- Milk
- Italian bread crumbs
- Worcestershire sauce
- Green bell pepper. Or got with canned green chilis (adds mild spice)
- Onion powder. Or use ¼ cup diced onion
- Garlic powder
- Dried parsley
- Salt
- Pepper
- Ketchup
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Yes. You can freeze meatloaf two ways — raw, then you'll need to thaw it and cook as directed. Or go ahead and cook the meatloaf then freeze it. Then just thaw the meatloaf, slice it and microwave it by the slice for about 1:30 - 2:30 minutes or until warmed to your liking.
This meatloaf recipe doubles as a meatball recipe so if you'd prefer t make meatballs, follow these cooking instructions:
All you have to do is, instead of forming a loaf, roll the beef mixture into 1" or 2" meatballs and cut the cook time down. For 1" meatballs, they can be done in about 20 minutes. 2" meatballs might take closer to 30 minutes to cook all the way through.
You can leave off the ketchup or if you like that bit of tomato flavor, you can add it into your meat mixture.
Yes, you can actually cook meatloaf in your crockpot. Form a loaf and place in the center of your slow cooker. Cook the meatloaf in the crockpot for 6 hours on low or or 4 hours on high, or until meat has cook through to the center.
You can use a meat thermometer to check the center of your meatloaf. When it gets to 160ºF, remove it from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Form 2" meatballs and place them in the slow cooker close together without touching. Cook on low for 2 hours or until meatballs have cooked through to the center.
You can use ground turkey instead of ground beef or, as I prefer, a half and half blend of ground turkey and beef. Using turkey is a great way to cut fat.
Choose a lean beef. When you cook meatloaf most of the fat is going to cook out of it anyway. So by starting with a lean mix of ground beef, you'll have less grease to drain away.
Experiment with different fillers.
To keep your meatloaf moist and to ensure it binds together you need to add milk and some sort of filler to the meat mixture. Typically bread crumbs are a classic filler choice. You can even make your own bread crumbs (check out my How to Make Bread Crumbs from Toast tutorial) . However you can also add a different flavor and texture by using something other than bread crumbs for your filler. You could use crumbled crackers, cooked rice, or even instant oatmeal.
★ More Beef Dinner Recipes ★
Want more delicious dinner ideas? Browse all my easy dinner recipes.
This classic meatloaf and meatballs recipe was featured on South Your Mouth!
Classic Meatloaf and Meatballs
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ground beef
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper OR 4 oz can green chilis (adds mild spice)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder OR use ¼ cup diced onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 3-4 tablespoon ketchup
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Knead all ingredients together until well combined.
- Form meat mixture into a loaf and press into a loaf pan for meatloaf.Portion using a cookie scoop and roll into balls for meatballs.
- Spread a thin layer of ketchup over top.
- Meatloaf: Bake at 350˚F for 1 hour or until meat is brown all the way through. Drain off grease as needed. Meatballs: Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes or until meat is brown all the way through. Drain off grease as needed.
- Serve hot with mashed potatoes, over spaghetti or on sub rolls.
Notes
- To make meatballs: form meat mixture into 1" balls and bake on a baking sheet for 20 minutes. For larger meatballs, form into 2" balls and bake for 30 minutes.
- Cook beef to an internal temperature of 160ºF.
Jilli says
I did modify this recipe just a bit. First I had so much ground beef that I doubled the recipe. If I thought ahead of time, I would have taken out Italian sausage and use that with the ground beef just for a little added spice. I also cut up about 2 cups of celery because I like it so much and I cut up one large red bell pepper. I also cut up Monterey Jack cheese to get it used up and I cut it into cubes about a quarter to a half inch squares and put it inside the center of the meatballs. It would’ve worked in the meatballs two but this time I wanted meatballs. It’s getting ready to be put in the oven right now and I’m excited to see how good it turns out. Oh yeah, one other thing, I put in about a half a cup of fresh grated Parmesan cheese with breadcrumbs.