This Ina Garten Meatloaf recipe is the best I’ve ever had. It’s tender, moist, and flavorful. The delectable garlic meatloaf sauce makes it extra fancy and tasty. Pure comfort food. Originally posted February 21, 2014.
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One time in college my best friend/roommate Sarah and I each came back from Christmas break with the exact same pair of polka-dot rain boots from Target. Same color. Same size.
I’m in Texas visiting her this week, and it took us about 30 seconds of being together to realize that we have the exact same turquoise and purple iPhone case. The exact. same. one.
We are pretty much kindred spirits. The only drawback is that now her 4-year-old son thinks my phone is hers, and steals it when I’m not looking to take a thousand selfies every day.
Eric is back home slaving away while I take a girl’s trip to visit my best friend and sister. And by girl’s trip I mean all of the children are involved, so it’s not really one of those. We went to Walmart today with all 5 of our kids. We bought limes and diapers. It took 2 hours.
I’m not complaining though. It’s easier to dodge People of Walmart photographers if you’re in a group.
I woke up on my birthday last year majorly missing my sister Laura, who lives in Dallas. I’ve never visited, so I asked for tickets to see her for Christmas, and here we are. My friend Sarah also lives in Texas (7 hours away) and I thought it would be a great idea to rent a car one way to see her too. This was before I remembered how much I LOVE taking road trips with small children, so extra bonus for me!
Really though, we’re having so much fun. Time and space got nothin on kindred spirits.
The Meatloaf Recipe Ina Garten created is Chef’s Kiss
Meatloaf. I mean, other than bread, pretty much anything that has the word “loaf” in it is going to have a hard time sounding appetizing and winning beauty contests. Calling it “1770 House Meatloaf” definitely adds a little pizazz, so thanks for that Ina. Yes, this is a Barefoot Contessa recipe, so of course it is the best meatloaf I’ve ever had. It’s tender, moist, and flavorful. Pure comfort food.
My mom used to make people guess what was in her meatloaf, because she was always just throwing in whatever was in the fridge. You know, just in case meatloaf wasn’t adventurous enough for you already.
Ina Meatloaf Ingredients
Here’s a quick shopping list to help you gather your ingredients. See the recipe card below for the full ingredients and instructions!
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Celery
- Ground beef
- Ground veal
- Ground pork
- Herbs (parsley, thyme, chives)
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Panko bread crumbs
- Garlic sauce (olive oil, garlic, chicken stock, butter, kosher salt, black pepper)
How to make Ina Garten Meatloaf
- Chop your onion, dice your celery, and saute them together. Grind your panko in a food processor.
- In a large bowl, add the ground beef, veal, pork, parsley, thyme, chives, eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
- Add the cooled, sauteed veggies and finely ground panko to the meat mixture.
- Combine the meat mixture with your hands and shape it.
- Bake the meatloaf at 350 for 40-50 minutes; make the garlic sauce while it cooks.
- Remove from the oven, slice the meatloaf, and serve with the garlic sauce!
This recipe is pretty basic. The fresh herbs and garlic sauce take it to a whole new level. Plus it’s HUGE, so it’s great for feeding a crowd. Or you could freeze half for a later meal.
Slice your celery the thin way before you chop it to get the small dice you need.
You want your bread crumbs to look like this. I like Panko bread crumbs.
Pat it into a rectangle…
Then mold it into a cylinder to prevent air pockets.
Making 1770 House Meatloaf Garlic Sauce
Why have I never thought of making gravy to go with meatloaf? So much better than sugary ketchup. (Let’s not get confused here: I love ketchup. But I do prefer savory sauces with meat.) And this is not even gravy. It’s garlic sauce. 10 cloves of garlic? Enough said. It’s an Ina Garten meatloaf, alright.
How to store 1770 House Meatloaf
Leftover meatloaf will last in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
When you’re ready to eat it, thaw it overnight in the fridge (if frozen), then warm either in the microwave or in the oven until heated through.
Ina Garten Meatloaf Recipe FAQ
A few simple ingredients contribute to the super moist texture of this 1770 house meatloaf: eggs, milk, and breadcrumbs.
The breadcrumbs not only add structure to the meatloaf, but they soak up the moisture of the milk, making the meatloaf tender. Eggs add both flavor and richness, and they also help the meat to stay together in a loaf shape without overworking the meat.
I bake my meatloaf uncovered and it comes out perfectly.
However, if you do notice the top of the meatloaf starting to brown a little bit too much before the center is heated through, tent it with foil and let it continue to cook until done.
Ina Garten serves her meatloaf with a super flavorful, buttery garlic sauce which I’ve included in this recipe. It’s the perfect way to add extra flavor and a little bit more moisture to the meatloaf. It also goes very well on top of whatever you’re serving with the meatloaf, like mashed potatoes or steamed veggies.
If you really want to pull out all the stops, make this meatloaf with Aunt Shirley’s Famous Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Meatloaf and potatoes, there’s no greater combo, right? You could also do these 3 Ingredient Roasted Potatoes with Crunchy Onions. And how about a Green Salad with Feta and Beets to go with it? Yum.
More recipes to love!
- Easy Baked Meatballs << why buy frozen meatballs when the homemade version is this easy?
- Chicken Tikka Masala Meatballs << nothing’s better than chicken tikka masala, except maybe this insanely delicious meatball version.
- Easy Baked Mexican Meatballs << so good with a side of Mexican rice!
- Raspberry Balsamic Meatballs (Slow Cooker) << appetizer or dinner? You decide.
- Chicken Parmesan Meatloaf from Foodie with Family
- Easy Turkey Meatloaf Muffins from Easy Good Ideas
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1770 House Meatloaf (Ina Garten Meatloaf Recipe)
Ingredients
For the meatloaf:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups onion, chopped (1 large)
- 1 & 1/2 cups celery, small-diced (2 stalks)
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground veal
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 tablespoon parsley, fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon thyme, fresh, chopped
- 1 tablespoon chives , chopped, or green onions
- 3 large eggs
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 & 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
For the Garlic Sauce:
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic , peeled
- 2 cup chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
For the meatloaf:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- In your largest saute pan, heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil. When it is hot add the onion and celery. Cook for 5-8 minutes until the onion is soft but not brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add ground beef, veal, pork, parsley, thyme, chives, eggs, milk, salt and pepper.
- Blend the panko bread crumbs in a food processor until they are finely ground, then add that to the bowl with the meat. Add the onion and celery mixture.
- Combine the meat with your hands. This is the best way to mix meatloaf so that it doesn’t get tough. Don’t overdo it.
- Cover a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Use your hands to pat the meat into a flat rectangle. Then push the sides in to make a cylinder about 15 inches by 6 inches (spreading it out first prevents air pockets).
- Bake at 350 for 40 to 50 minutes, or use a meat thermometer to find out when it has reached 155-160 degrees F.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for a few minutes before slicing. Serve with garlic sauce.
For the Garlic Sauce:
- While the meatloaf is cooking, combine the oil and garlic in a small saucepan . Bring the oil to a boil, then lower the heat to low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the garlic is a light golden brown. Don’t burn it! Watch carefully. Strain out the oil and save it for another use (I used it for oven roasted potatoes).
- In the same saucepan (with the garlic still in it), add the chicken stock and butter. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat but continue to boil for 35-40 minutes, until it is slightly thicker. Use a fork to smash the garlic in the pan. Add the salt and pepper.
- Ladle the warm sauce over each serving of hot meatloaf.
Is the salt measurement for the meatloaf correct? I just made this and it is waaaay too salty. Now I am trying to figure out how to salvage all this meat.
Hi Stef! The salt measurement is correct. Did you use table salt? That would make it too salty, probably. Kosher salt weighs less than table salt. 2 tablespoons kosher salt does NOT equal 2 tablespoons table salt. I’m sorry your meatloaf was salty!
I used pink Himalayan sea salt. Never use kosher so I wasn’t aware. Now I know.
I live in Nashville, my best friend lives in Minnesota and my sisters are in Colorado and in California! Some days I miss them so much it hurts! So I totally understand this!! Thank goodness for Skype!
Love this recipe! Much better than Mom’s! Making it tonight for my extended family. I know they’ll love it! Thanks
Glad you like it Doreen, have fun with your family tonight!
I love salt but read the original recipe and the reviews and cut the salt down to 1 Tablespoon and also didn’t use salt in the garlic sauce once it reduced down. Hands down the BEST meatloaf I’ve ever made! And I have an amazing recipe from my grandma. Shhhh…don’t tell her! ;) Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks McKenzi! I like the recipe as written, but I love me some salt :) So glad you like it!
I’ve been making this loaf for a couple of years. “1770 House Mealoaf” is not a fancy made up name. It is the name of a restaurant and Inn in East Hampton New York. Ina Garten has a home and does her show from this town and it is where the recipe comes from. Think I’ll make one tonight!!
Thanks for the info Kieran! Enjoy!
Hello Karen , Your website is absolutely beautiful and your recipes look divine i’m soo glad i stumbled upon it.I have a quick question i was just wondering if i could substitute carrots instead of celery? Thanks Courtney
Hi Courtney! Thank you so much! Yes, I think carrots would taste good in this! When you saute them, make sure you go long enough that the carrot is fork tender. Other than that follow the recipe I think! Happy cooking!
I have been making my meatloaf like this for years….the only difference is I roast the garlic in the oven and infuse it in brown gravy. My family loves this and I have to make a 6 lb meatloaf at all times so there are leftovers for sandwiches. Your photos are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep on doing what you do!
Ooh I love the roasted garlic idea! And I imagine someday my kids will grow up and I will have to make 6 pounds at a time too :) Thank you for commenting Ann, it’s so nice to hear from you!
Hi, this looks delicious! Just wanted to make sure I’m reading the directions right. You boil the garlic sauce for 40 minutes, twice? So almost an hour and a half? It seems step 12 is just repeating steps 10 and 11. Thank you!
I had the same step on there twice Sarah! Thanks so much for catching that. I changed the recipe so it should make more sense now. Just refresh the page. Thanks for commenting! Happy meatloaf! :)
If it tastes half as good as your pictures look, we will be very happy!
Thanks Sarah! You just made my day :)
Just the two of us, so a three pound meatloaf is a bit excessive. Any thoughts about freezing – would it be best to freeze before or after baking the meat loaf? I know I could cut the ingredients, but if I’m going to do the work, I may as well get a few meals out of it. Not efficient, just lazy. Thanks in advance, and thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hi Nancy! When I made this, I cooked it and then froze some of it. I even froze the garlic sauce (separately). It worked great. You will lose some moisture of course, but I still thought it was really good. If I were planning ahead though, I would divide the meatloaf into 3 portions and freeze 2 of them raw. Then just stick it in the fridge for a day or two to thaw it and bake like normal (adjusting time of course). Make all the garlic sauce, divide it into 3, and freeze two portions. Let me know how it works out Nancy! Hope you enjoy it!
I have a cookbook that introduced me to the wonders of meatloaf sandwiches. You just add red onion slices, spicy mustard and slices of meatloaf. That’s it. They are so good that I often would make a meatloaf for the sandwiches! It’s a fabulous way to use one up that otherwise would need to be frozen. Meatloaf sandwiches people! They are the bomb. 😉
Oh man, I’ve been dying to try this recipe ever since I saw it on The Barefoot Contessa. It’s been printed and hanging out in my kitchen for months! And I have to say, even though meatloaf isn’t normally a beautiful food, your photos of this meatloaf are so gorgeous! I’m super impressed.
You seriously have it hanging in your kitchen?? That’s awesome. Thanks for the compliments on my photos Lori, means a lot coming from you! :)
I just realized that we both posted meatloaf recipes within days of each other, and we both mentioned Ina in our post! Talk about kindred spirits. ;) Love the sauce that goes with this! Looks perfect.
We ARE kindred spirits Dianna! i love that you even mentioned this sauce in your post (I’m assuming it’s the same meatloaf…how many does Ina have??) Meatloaf as a transport for sauce :) Love it. Thanks for commenting, sorry it took me forever to get back to you, I was visiting my sister in TX and didn’t want her to know how much of a blogging freak I normally am, so I’ve been slacking. :)
My best friend from college and I are so similar! We don’t buy the exact same things, but pretty close! So fun. And this meatloaf looks so great Karen! I love meatloaf and it’s one of my husband’s favorite dinners!
Isn’t it funny how the more time you spend with someone the more similar your tastes become? At least with girlfriends anyway. Pretty sure I’m not going to be getting into Star Trek with my husband any time soon :)
Your mum is right…Meatloaf is great for just throwing in a few leftovers ;)
It’s true Mariana! She used to make us guess what was in it :)
Wait wait wait, I have a turquoise and purple iPhone case! Betcha it’s the same one! ;) This looks absolutely delicious. And oh my gosh, loving the garlic sauce. Sign me up. I am totally pinning this and making it for the family I nanny for ASAP. And despite your instagram sneak peek, these photos are stunning, lady! Absolutely gorgeous. So no more instagram sneak peek bashing. ;) Hope you’re having a fun trip!
I bet we totally do have the same case Erin! I think it’s like the cheapest one out there, so probably tons of people have it. But whatever, you are still officially invited on my girls trip, the phone gets you in. Yeah, just come! :)
And thanks for all the compliments! You know how it is though; the pictures always look way different on your computer than they do on the tiny screen of your camera. At least for me! I’m always like, oh these suck. And then they turn out not so awful a lot of the time. :)
Your pictures are just beautiful! It looks delicious! And so funny about your friend’s son taking selfies – it amazes me how kids know technology. :)
Thanks Lindsay! It reminds me of this youtube video I saw once of this little girl trying to swipe the page of a magazine and getting frustrated that it wasn’t working. Ha! Kids and technology indeed.