Sweet Ketchup Meatloaf

Now who doesn't like a good meatloaf? My Sweet Ketchup Meatloaf is probably one of the most flavorful meatloaves you will ever have.

My Sweet Ketchup Meatloaf recipe came about several years ago when I was at a dinner party and they served a super sweet meatloaf.

All I heard was that they had used brown sugar to make it sweet. That was enough to inspire me to come up with my own version of a sweet meatloaf.

💭 Baking Meatloaf

When it comes to baking your meatloaf, you have a couple of options. You can bake it the traditional way in a loaf pan or bake it on a foil-lined baking sheet.

Depending on how lean your ground beef is, you may find the meatloaf sitting in grease. One way to avoid this is to shape the meat mixture into the shape of a loaf and bake it on a baking sheet. This will allow the grease to run off into the pan.

If I had to guess, I've probably made this meatloaf a few dozen times now. Everyone who has tried this meatloaf absolutely loves it. The only constructive feedback I've ever received about my Meatloaf is sometimes I add just a bit too many chopped onions.

The only other advice I can give you is, as long as your oven is functioning properly, do not cook this meatloaf for more than 60 minutes.

🌡️ Meatloaf Temperature

Our friends over at the USDA recommend an internal temperature of 160°F. This should be enough to kill salmonella.

You can take the meatloaf out of the oven around 150°F and let it rest for 10 minutes. Check the internal temperature again before slicing & serving.

🐄 How to Handle Raw Beef

Thaw raw ground beef on a plate on the lowest shelf of the refrigerator, to avoid dripping onto other foods.
Keep raw and ready-to-eat meats separate.
Wash hands thoroughly before and after handling raw ground beef. Wash cutting boards, bowls, and utensils used to prepare raw ground beef with hot soapy water and rinse well.
Use separate plates to carry raw ground beef patties to the cooking area and cooked patties to the serving area.
Use a Thermometer to ensure Ground Beef Reaches the Safely Cooked Internal Temperature of 160°F.

📋 Gather your Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make this Sweet Ketchup Meatloaf recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Light Brown Sugar, Ketchup, Ground Beef, Eggs, Worcestershire Sauce, Garlic Powder, Chili Powder, Cayenne Pepper, Dried Oregano, Thyme, Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Ground Ginger, Milk, Yellow Onion and Soda Crackers.

🥣 How to Make Sweet Ketchup Meatloaf

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly grease a 5 x 9 loaf pan.
Press the brown sugar into the bottom of the loaf pan. Spread the ketchup over the brown sugar.
In a mixing bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients thoroughly and add to the prepared loaf pan.
Bake for 1 hour or until the juices are clear.