A good homemade meatloaf is one of those hearty dishes that needs little introduction—except for a poor little Manileño like me who grew up thinking meatloaf to be this . . .

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So imagine my surprise when I discovered that meatloaf could actually be made from fresh ground meat, baked in an oven, and served in thick, juicy slices rather than extracted from a tin!

Over the years, I have come to appreciate a proper homemade meatloaf, and I now have my own version, which I am delighted to share with you.

Ingredients

For the meatloaf

• 2 pounds (900 g) ground beef
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• ¾ cup milk
• 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika, optional

For the glaze

• ½ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon prepared mustard, optional

Prepare the meatloaf

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a baking dish large enough to hold a free-standing loaf.

Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped onion, eggs, milk, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and paprika, if using.

Mix everything gently with your clean hands until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Do not knead or compact the mixture excessively; overmixing can make the finished meatloaf dense.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Shape it into an even, semi-oblong loaf, smoothing the top and sides without pressing too firmly . . .

Make the glaze

In a small bowl, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard, if using, until smooth.

Spread the glaze generously over the top of the meatloaf, allowing a little to run down the sides.

But forget all that! Want something that tastes even better, with absolutely none of the fuss? Behold my secret weapon . . .

Straight from the bottle. No measuring, no mixing, and, in my opinion, even more delicious. Sometimes the best recipe is knowing when to let someone else do the work!

Bake the meatloaf

Bake for approximately 60–75 minutes, depending on the thickness of the loaf, or until the center reaches 160°F (71°C) on a food thermometer—if, unlike me, you own one and actually know how to use it! If the glaze begins to darken too much before the meat is cooked, cover the top loosely with foil.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it rest for 10–15 minutes before slicing. Resting helps the slices hold together and keeps the juices from running out onto the cutting board.

And here is my masterpiece. Please admire the pretentious plating, particularly the strategically placed celery leaves, which I added for absolutely no reason other than to make the whole thing look not cheap 😂 and mouth-watering . . .

To serve

Cut the meatloaf into thick slices and serve warm, ideally with your favorite vegetables and mashed potatoes—if you’re not Filipino! As for me, nothing beats a generous helping of fluffy white rice, which I have, of course, molded Chinese restaurant-style into an elegant little dome . . .

If you like, spoon some of the juices from the baking dish over the slices before serving—which I completely forgot to do because I was far too excited photographing my magnificent rice dome.