Boston Market Meatloaf

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.

Homemade Boston Market Meatloaf on a plate and serving dish.


What is Boston Market Meatloaf?

Boston Market Meatloaf is a classic-style meatloaf with a bit of surprise. The sweet tomato glaze on top adds traditional sweetness, but the diced tomatoes mixed into the meatloaf are unique. Diced tomatoes add some flavor and help to keep the meatloaf juicy. 

Is Boston Market Meatloaf Good?

There must be hundreds of ways to make meatloaf, with some recipes calling for a long list of ingredients. However, it is often the simplest recipes that are the best. This version of meatloaf is nothing fancy, but it is inexpensive and easy to make and sure tastes great.

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.

Boston Market Meatloaf Ingredients

To make this copycat Boston Market meatloaf recipe, here’s a list of what you need:

  • Ground beef chuck
  • Onion
  • Garlic salt
  • Canned diced tomatoes
  • Plain breadcrumbs
  • Egg
  • Tomato sauce
  • Sugar
Homemade Boston Market meatloaf ingredients

How to Make Boston Market Meatloaf

Here are the steps for this recipe:

  1. Mix ground beef, chopped onions, garlic salt, diced tomatoes, breadcrumbs, and egg together until well blended.
  2. Place the beef mixture in a lightly greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
  3. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and drain excess grease from the pan.
  4. Mix tomato sauce and sugar together and pour over the meatloaf.
  5. Place the meatloaf back in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
Homemade Boston Market Meatloaf and mashed potatoes on a plate.

What to Serve with Boston Market Meat Loaf

When it comes to meatloaf, just about any side dish is fair game. Here are some of the classics:

How to Store, Freeze and Reheat Meatloaf

You can keep any leftover meatloaf in the fridge for three to four days, or you can freeze it for up to four months.

Whether you plan to store meatloaf in the fridge or freezer, you need to let it cool to room temperature and cover it well in plastic wrap.

If you want to freeze the meatloaf, add a layer of aluminum foil on top of the plastic wrap for extra protection.

You can reheat thawed meatloaf in the oven, air fryer, or microwave. Cut the meatloaf into two-inch slices before using any reheating method. 

  • In the oven. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Drizzle a teaspoon of water or beef broth onto the meatloaf and wrap in aluminum foil. Place directly on the middle rack and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until warm.
  • In the air fryer. Preheat the air fryer to 380 degrees and cook for about 6 minutes, turning once. 
  • In the microwave. Sprinkle the top of the meatloaf slice with water or beef stock and cook covered in the microwave for one minute on high. Carefully flip the meatloaf, recover and cook for another minute. Let the meatloaf rest for a few minutes before eating. 

Boston Market Meatloaf Recipe FAQs

What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart?

Binders. There are many different types of binders that you can use, but this recipe uses breadcrumbs and eggs. Other standard binders include oatmeal and cracker crumbs. 

Is the meatloaf at Boston Market beef?

Yes, Boston Market serves an all-beef meatloaf, but there isn’t any reason you can’t use a mixture of beef and pork or even ground turkey when you make Boston Market-style meatloaf at home. 

Are there onions in Boston Market meatloaf?

Onions show up in the tomato puree used in the dish, but they are not added separately to the Boston Market Meatloaf according to the list of ingredients.

Homemade Boston Market Meatloaf on a serving dish and plate with mashed potatoes.

Love Boston Market? Try these copycat recipes!

Favorite Comfort Food Recipes

Check out more of my easy comfort food recipes and the best fast food recipes here on CopyKat!

Homemade Boston Market Meatloaf on a plate and serving dish.

Boston Market Meatloaf

You can make Boston Market Meatloaf at home.
5 from 6 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Boston Market Recipes, Meatloaf
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 10
Calories: 231kcal

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.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 311mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 2.1mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Debbie

    5 stars
    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.

  2. 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

  3. Kellie

    5 stars
    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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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

  6. 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?

5 from 6 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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