Sheet Pan Meatloaf with a Sweet and Zesty Glaze

Truth be told, I did not grow up eating meatloaf. While many of you have childhood memories of this dish, my first meatloaf memory only goes back to my college days. There was an upscale restaurant my parents would always want to go to when they came to visit me at college with meatloaf on the menu. Upscale and meatloaf don’t always go together, but I ordered it once on the server’s strong recommendation. From that day forward it was tough to choose between the meatloaf and anything else on the menu. That’s how good it was. The restaurant sadly closed in 2020, but that delicious meatloaf from Harry’s in Manhattan, Kansas inspired this recipe for sheet pan meatloaf.

This meatloaf is moist from the onions, bright from the fresh basil, stays together thanks to cheese, breadcrumbs AND eggs, and the glaze is zesty, savory and sweet all at the same time. Everything a great meatloaf should be. Not to mention the glaze is so shiny, it makes a simple meatloaf look extra fancy. The secret ingredient in the glaze is the addition of your favorite steak sauce. Mine is A-1. It doesn’t take much to add a lot of zesty flavor to the glaze.

Keys to Success – Sheet Pan Meatloaf

1. Do not over mix the meatloaf. An over mixed meatloaf will become dry, dense, and tough. You want moist, tender meatloaf. Your hands are your best tools for this, so roll up your sleeves, wash those hands, and gently work all of the ingredients together until just barely combined.
2. Select a meat blend with moderate fat content. I’ve included a full section on meatloaf meat selection later in this blog post.
3. Onions can be a point of contention for picky eaters. I know. As a child, I was one of them. Now, I love a rustic texture in a meatloaf, but if that’s not your style, use the large grate of a cheese grater or a food processor to get a super fine chop on your onion. No matter how you like your onions, you want a pretty fine dice since this recipe doesn’t call for par-cooking the onions prior to adding them to the meat.
4. Skip the loaf pan. Going with a freeform sheet pan method gives significantly more surface area available to be covered in the sweet and zesty glaze. The more glaze the better, right? Since the the fat and pan juices are not being held against the sides of the meatloaf, it will also help make sure the base of your meatloaf is strong and caramelized instead of soggy and weak after poaching in it’s own pan juices while baking.
5. Form your meatloaf firmly to ensure the shape holds during cooking. Press together firmly on all sides.
6. Allow your meatloaf to cool for 10-15 minutes before attempting to cut. Hot meatloaf is more likely to fall apart than meatloaf allowed to rest. A little patience will go a long way with meatloaf.

Open-faced Meatloaf Sandwich

Meatloaf is one of those foods that’s almost better the next day. My favorite way to eat leftover meatloaf is an open-faced meatloaf sandwich. Last week’s Easy 3 Step Beer Bread recipe is the perfect hearty bread to hold up to a thick piece of leftover meatloaf. Top with a couple of slices of provolone cheese and heat under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and starts to brown on top. A meatloaf masterpiece.

Make it a HIH Meal

Salad – Green salad with Alden’s Pantry Ranch Dressing

Main dish – Sheet Pan Meatloaf with a Sweet and Zesty Glaze

Side – The Best Mac ‘n Cheese

Dessert – Extra Fudgy Brown Butter Brownies

To Freeze or Not to Freeze?

This meat loaf will freeze well both before cooking and after cooking. To freeze the raw meat mixture, form into a loaf, wrap tightly in plastic wrap followed by a layer of foil. Thaw completely before following the remaining steps in the cooking process. To freeze a cooked meatloaf, cook through the first trip in the oven. Do not add glaze. Allow to cool completely and wrap as outlined previously. Thaw completely, add glaze and complete the remaining steps in the cooking process. You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the cooking time to ensure the meatloaf is heated all the way through.

Meats

One thing to keep in mind when cooking meatloaf is the fat content of the meat or blend of meats you’re using. The fat content of your meat will impact how well your meatloaf stays moist while cooking. The leaner the meat, the more tough and dry the meatloaf could turn out. On the flip side, if the fat content is too high, over 25%, you could experience some structural issues with your meatloaf. I recommend 15-20% fat in the meat blend for the PERFECT meatloaf. The two eggs, milk, and seasoned breadcrumbs in this recipe will hold together even the leanest of game meats.

My husband is a hunter, so while we love beef, much of our ground meat comes from wild game. Venison, elk, and moose are currently game meats in our freezer. All taste fantastic in this meatloaf. The zesty glaze combined with the garlic, onions, and basil will help to balance any gaminess. Most don’t even realize I’ve used something other than beef!

Typically, game meats are leaner than 90/10 ground beef, you may want to use a meat blend. Using a blend when adding a game meat into this loaf with a higher fat content meat, will ensure a PERFECT meatloaf. Now, all of that said, I will manage my expectations for perfection and go with 100% elk or venison. The two eggs, milk, and seasoned breadcrumbs in this recipe will hold together even the leanest of game meats. Make a second batch of glaze to serve as a dipping sauce will when using leaner ground meats, no one will be the wiser!