Boston Market Meatloaf is a delicious meatloaf. One of my favorite characteristics of the Boston Market meatloaf is the sweet sauce on top that is made of a sweet tomato sauce. Boston Market meatloaf also tastes very good the next day in sandwiches.
So why not enjoy some Boston Market meatloaf tonight? I bet if you make this Boston Market meatloaf copycat recipe everyone will wonder if you bought this at Boston Market. But you know you made it at home.
Table of Contents
What Kind of Meat is in Meatloaf?
Ground beef is perfect for meatloaf. It’s versatile and inexpensive. Ground chuck is what I use in my recipe – it’s ideal for meatloaf and holds its shape well during cooking. The cooked meat should be moist, juicy and slightly firm.
Mixing Meats
You can also mix meats in a meatloaf. For example, a mixture of ground beef and pork is popular. In fact, you can use any combination of beef, veal, pork, or lamb.
However, if you use very lean meat, it should be blended with approximately thirty percent ground pork. The fattier pork will keep the meatloaf moist and tender.
The American Meatloaf
The first recipe we know about is from late 1870s New England where the cook was instructed to finely chop “whatever cold meat you have.” The meat was very likely beef because cows were typically killed before winter set in.
Meatloaf was a way to use up every last bit of the meat. To the finely-chopped beef was added salt, pepper, onion, slices of bread soaked in milk, and egg. These are still the basic ingredients of many a meatloaf recipe today.
But back then, they didn’t eat meatloaf for dinner – it was for breakfast!
The Depression
Meatloaf became a staple of many Americans’ diets during the Depression. It was a way to extend precious protein and feed more people with less meat. Also, by then meat grinders were common and made meat grinding easier.
In the 1940s, meatloaf was also a hallmark of wartime cooking ingenuity. By the 1950s, meatloaf was here to stay.
Meatloaf is now so American that it’s often placed alongside hamburgers and hot dogs as iconic American comfort food. You can read more about the history of meatloaf.
Ingredients
Here’s a list of what you need:
- Ground beef chuck
- Onion
- Garlic salt
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Plain breadcrumbs
- Egg
- Tomato sauce
- Sugar
How to Make Boston Market Meatloaf
- Mix ground beef, chopped onions, garlic salt, diced tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and egg together until well blended.
- Place the beef mixture in a lightly greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and drain excess grease from the pan.
- Mix tomato sauce and sugar together and pour over the meatloaf.
- Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Boston Market Meatloaf makes a wonderful dinner. I love to serve it with homemade mashed potatoes.
Love Boston Market? Try these copycat recipes!
- Boston Market Macaroni and Cheese
- Boston Market Sweet Potato Casserole
- Boston Market Garlic Dill Potato Wedges
- Boston Market Creamed Spinach
Favorite Comfort Food Recipes
- Broccoli Cheese Rice Casserole
- Cheesy Hashbrown Potatoes
- Chicken Cacciatore
- Chicken Casserole
- Hamburger Tater Tot Casserole
- Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese
- Old Fashioned Tuna Casserole
- Pan Fried Potatoes
Check out more of my easy comfort food recipes and the best fast food recipes here on CopyKat!
Boston Market Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
- 1/2 cup onions minced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 3/4 cup drained diced tomatoes
- 3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together all ingredients except tomato sauce and sugar.
- Place the mixture in a lightly greased loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and drain excess grease from the pan.
- Mix tomato sauce and sugar together and pour it over the meatloaf.
- Place the meatloaf back in the oven to finish baking until done, about 30 minutes depending on the oven.
Debbie
I make this meatloaf per her recipe and it was delicious! Thank You for the copycat recipe. It tastes just like Boston Market! No need to change anything.
Dee
I think the green is merely chpd parsley on top as a garnish.
Stephanie
You are correct he parsley was just garnishing!
AF
We prefer tomato paste on top with garlic powder sprinkled over.
ARK
we always used oatmeal, instead of bread crumbs-and 3-4 Tsp of condensed milk, NO sauce or ketchup on top (ugh) and for one reg. loaf pan we added one more egg
Kellie
I have been making meatloaf very similar to this for many years. I add seasoned breadcrumbs, a little brown sugar instead of white sugar, add in either some real bacon bits or pork sausage and lastly I top it with ketchup.
Celeste Mayer
I made this last night. My son thought it was ok. I really like the idea of the diced tomatoes in the meatloaf.
kate
I always put green bell peppers in mine and use lipton onion soup mix…I also mix in tomatoe sause instead of water for more flavor
ausi blindman
I usually mix a cup of frozen mixed vegetables into the meatloaf
Stephanie
That’s a great idea on sneaking in vegetables into your dinner.
Guest
What else is in the meatloaf. The photo clearly shows something green but there is nothing green in your recipe. I am assuming it is celery, but why isn’t it listed as an ingredient? Any other ingredients you left out?
Tina Nepsund John
I was wondering the same thing, I don’t like cooked celery and would prefer it without green peppers, so I think I will like the listed recipe better, but I almost didn’t bother with this recipe because I saw something green in the picture.
Dee
I think the green is merely chpd parsley on top as a garnish.
Stephanie
Yes, its a garnish.
Liz Nelson
Our family loves meat loaf. This looks really good! I made it without the sugar in sauce. We like plain tomato sauce on ours.