17 Simple Ingredients That Will Take Your Meatloaf To The Next Level

Maybe it's time to try something new and make some modifications to your go-to meatloaf recipe. Although you might feel as if there's nothing necessarily wrong with the dish, it can start to feel repetitive after a while or just lack a wow factor. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to improve meatloaf and upgrade your recipe. Classic meatloaf has a basic composition, usually consisting of a ground meat blend, eggs, breadcrumbs, milk, onions, and seasonings. Some people make it with a tomato sauce or ketchup glaze, while others top it with mashed potatoes.

Straying from tradition can be a way to make meatloaf more exciting, flavorful, and of better quality. And it doesn't have to be hard, either, as there are numerous simple yet effective additions you can utilize. Some of the ingredients listed here function as binding agents. Others provide the meatloaf with a deeper flavor, and some slightly adjust its texture or presentation. One thing is for sure: You'll be surprised by how easily these options spruce meatloaf up into a remarkable dinner.

Salsa benefits meatloaf in more than one way. First, it prevents the meatloaf from drying out while it cooks. Secondly, it imparts the meatloaf with a delicious flavor. It is similar to using ketchup since it is tomato-based, but it has a much more natural taste. Also, most salsas have a chunkier consistency due to other components such as onions, jalapeños or other peppers, garlic, cilantro, and seasonings. It's your choice whether to make the salsa from scratch or use a store-bought product (and whether you prefer it mild or spicy).

One technique is to incorporate the salsa with the bread, which softens it. Then, you can mix it with the meat and other components, distributing the salsa throughout. Another way is to make a Tex-Mex style meatloaf by adding salsa, shredded cheese, black beans, cumin, and cilantro to the meat. Then, spread some salsa over the meatloaf so the salsa bakes on top.

Mushrooms are known for being incredibly earthy and pair well with turkey, beef, or any meat you wish to use in your meatloaf. A simple way to infuse a mushroomy essence into the dish is to use cream of mushroom soup, namely the Campbell's brand product has mushroom bits in it, which gives texture contrast. And, since the condensed soup has a creamy feel to it already, you don't necessarily need to add milk to the recipe. The soup is thick and holds everything together.

You can also try a different route by using half of the soup mixed with some milk and reserving the remaining soup to use as gravy. Heat the gravy separately on the stovetop or pour it over the meatloaf and let it cook on top for the last 10 minutes of baking. If you're making meatloaf for a crowd, you might want to purchase an extra can so there is plenty of gravy to go around.

Instead of using milk in your recipe, give buttermilk a try instead. This product is thicker in consistency, so when you mix it with meat, eggs, and seasonings, it helps the meatloaf to hold shape and not separate. Its flavor profile is a blend of buttery and acidic notes; it might remind you of a less tangy cousin to Greek yogurt or sour cream. (This is because it's fermented.) Moreover, bakers and chefs use buttermilk in comfort foods like biscuits and fried chicken because of its unique composition.

In simple terms, buttermilk's acidity level plays a huge role in the final texture of certain foods. In other words, this ingredient doesn't make meatloaf sour; instead, it tenderizes the meat, creating a dreamy, tender mouthfeel. You'll be happy to know that since this ingredient doesn't taste overly sharp after baking it, you can pair any preferred spices or sauce with your buttermilk meatloaf.

One secret to a succulent meatloaf is using a moisture-packed ingredient such as zucchini. While you can dice the zucchini into small cubes, the best way is to shred it. Use a box grater or a vegetable peeler to get thin pieces. Although you want some of the water to stay in the zucchini, removing some excess liquid is a good idea to prevent the meatloaf from becoming soggy while it bakes.

To remove the water, take a cheesecloth, gather the grated zucchini on top, and turn it into a sack. Then, gently squeeze it to extract the liquid. You can also use zucchini spirals if you have some. If you have the frozen kind, cook them in a sauté pan first to release the water and drain it. Otherwise, it all seeps out while in the oven. This secret ingredient is a good choice because it makes the loaf soft but doesn't change its classic flavor.

Rice Krispies cereal is an unexpected but amazing binder for meatloaf. Before you shoot the idea down, consider how the cereal is an extremely absorbent and relatively mild-tasting ingredient. After all, it doesn't take long to get soggy when you enjoy Rice Krispies with milk. This is excellent news when using it in meatloaf because the little cereal pieces are like tiny sponges that absorb the meat juices and other liquids, including the flavors of any seasonings you use.

Essentially, the pieces add structural support to the meatloaf and are a ready-to-use ingredient. You can utilize them as the sole binding agent or combine them with another, such as torn bread. And don't worry, your meatloaf won't taste like Rice Krispies. Nor will it look like a meaty Rice Krispies treat when the final product comes out of the oven and you slice into it. Instead, the cereal visually blends into the mixture and isn't super noticeable.

Take inspiration from Alton Brown by including a dash of cocoa powder in your recipe. Although you might only associate cocoa powder with brownies or other baked goods, you can use it to your advantage in meatloaf because of its characteristics. According to Brown in an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Made," the cocoa powder supplies the dish with an extra earthy kick. To give you an idea of what proportions to use, Brown includes 1 teaspoon of cocoa in his recipe with 3 pounds of meat.

You can include this unique addition in both the loaf and the glaze. First, make the entire glaze and then add most of it to the meat mixture, saving just enough for you to brush on top later on. It doesn't necessarily matter which type of cocoa you use. Whatever you have on hand is fine. Just remember that different types have varying levels of bitterness or sweetness, so taste the glaze and adjust its flavor if needed before you use it.

Skip the ketchup and use V8 Spicy Hot vegetable juice if you want incredible flavor in your dish. With this swap, you still receive the acidic tomato undertones as with ketchup, but the spicy V8 offers so much more due to the juice's carrots, celery, beets, and parsley. It also has watercress, spinach, and lettuce in it. Every cup of this ingredient contains two whole servings of vegetables, so it's a delicious way to sneak veggies into the meal for picky eaters.

Also, the spicy flavor isn't so overwhelming that it's unenjoyable; it's just the right amount. Since V8 juice is thinner than ketchup, start slowly with how much you use and compensate by using more binding agents such as oats, rice, or breadcrumbs. The raw meatloaf shouldn't be runny when you put it in the loaf pan, so examine its consistency before you move it to the oven.

Adding bacon bits to your meatloaf gives it a unique touch because of its sweet and smoky flavor. It also has a chewier and crunchier mouthfeel than ground meat. First, cook the bacon on the stovetop and allow it to cool. Transfer it to a food processor to turn it into tiny pieces, or hand-dice it before you combine it with the ground meat. Save the bacon grease when you do so because you can cook the onions and other veggies in the fat to impart them with a deeper flavor.

Another technique is to make your meatloaf as usual, put it in the pan, and drape raw bacon pieces overtop. This way, when you bite into the dish, you have maximum crunch and a well-defined difference in meaty textures. However, be careful not to burn the bacon; you might need to cover the meatloaf for a portion of the cooking time, depending on how hot you set your oven.

If you enjoy the taste of smoked foods but don't necessarily have time to craft a smoked meatloaf, don't fret. You can use liquid smoke to give it a complex, smoky essence. If you've never worked with this product, let us explain. Liquid smoke is a concentrated fluid produced by condensing smoke from burnt wood. So, it's not an artificial flavor but the real deal. Adding this natural ingredient to your meatloaf makes a world of difference, especially if you pair it with a BBQ-flavored sauce.

Since it is so concentrated, between 1 and 2 teaspoons for 2 pounds of meat is sufficient. However, you can always start with less if you're new to using the product and want to see how impactful it is. If you simply pour the liquid smoke without measuring, you might accidentally overdo it, causing the meatloaf to taste bitter or completely mask your other ingredients. So, it is best to take caution and utilize measuring spoons.

Skip plain bread crumbs and make life easier when using this boxed ingredient in your meatloaf. Stove Top stuffing mix is handy to use since it is already seasoned with classic herbs that you might use in meatloaf anyway. For instance, the Stove Top Traditional Sage mix contains parsley and sage with hints of chicken, carrots, onions, and celery. Meanwhile, the Stove Top Savory Herbs blend has rosemary extract, parsley, salt, and other spices, making it another excellent choice. You can also experiment with the different flavors that the brand offers.

Stuffing containing chicken or turkey broth can complement the ground meat and give the loaf a rich flavor. Another benefit is that the dressing mix is exceptionally absorbent, making it suitable as a binding agent. The bread cubes soak up the liquids in the mixture, preventing drippings from escaping and ensuring your meatloaf doesn't crumble when you go to serve it. You should still include eggs and milk in the meatloaf for the optimal outcome.

Plum sauce can make your meatloaf stand out due to its sweet and tangy flavor, and including it takes little to no effort since you can buy a pre-made jar or can. The store-bought sauces vary, but the primary component is usually plums or plum puree with sugar, vinegar, and ginger. Sometimes, they have hints of garlic, sweet potatoes, or other ingredients, too, so you can look at the different options and decide which sounds best. 

When you make your meatloaf, throw in 1 to 2 tablespoons per pound of meat. You don't want to include so much that it throws off the texture, and this amount is enough to have a pleasant taste. Furthermore, you can also make a plum glaze using plum sauce and ketchup. Or, brush plain plum sauce onto the loaves halfway through cooking if you enjoy its tanginess as is and prefer not to alter its flavor.

If you prefer your meatloaf on the sweeter side, you can sneak in some grated apples, which provide a natural saccharine undertone. Use sweet varieties like Gala, Honeycrisp, or Red Delicious for the best flavor. Or, get creative and use a tarter variety like Granny Smith, which can harmonize with a tangy glaze. You don't need to worry about whether you use firm or mealy apples because they don't need to hold their shape in the recipe like they do with, say, apple pies or other pastries. So, pick the variety based on flavor.

The easiest way to use this addition is by using a standard cheese grater so that the fruit turns into thin shreds. However, if you don't have one, you can also thinly slice them into matchsticks. Gently fold the fruit into the meat mixture with the other components. Aside from their wonderful taste, the apple shreds also make the meat extremely moist, which is just a bonus. Once the meatloaf bakes, you can't tell you're chewing apple pieces; they entirely soften, leaving your meatloaf with an excellent, familiar texture. 

Depending on the type of breadcrumbs you use, they might make your meatloaf heavy. But if you want a light and fluffy loaf, you can use saltine crackers instead. Crushing these crackers into crumbs is easy; you can pulse them with a food processor to break them down, or, alternatively, transfer them to a ziplock bag and use a pan or other kitchen tool to smash them.

In addition to their textural benefits, saltine crackers are already lightly salted and have a nice, delicate flavor. For example, one of the most popular brands in the U.S. is Nabisco saltine crackers, which contain salt with no other seasonings. Therefore, these crackers are suitable for all meatloaf types, whether you want your dish to be spicy, sweet, or extra savory. They pair with all food flavor profiles. Finally, saltines soak up liquid wonderfully, retaining all the fat from the meat.

Crispy fried onions are the ultimate crunchy ingredient for your next meatloaf. Usually, meatloaf has a juicy, tender bite and a saucy glaze to go with it, so it improves with a light and crispy garnish. Not to mention, the umami taste of the onions is a good match for ground beef, pork, or veal. The best way to use this ingredient is to glaze the meatloaf first and then sprinkle the onions on top.

Ideally, you can do this just before serving because as soon as the onions touch the glaze, they begin to soften. Nevertheless, you can also include the onions in the meatloaf if you enjoy their flavor and don't mind them softening. The canned products from the store, such as French's crispy fried onions, make this an effortless addition for you. For ambitious folks who don't mind the effort of slicing and frying, homemade fried onions can be ready in about 15 minutes and are pretty simple to make.

Cajun seasoning typically contains spices such as garlic powder, cayenne, paprika, pepper, and onion powder. Sometimes, it also has other components, like red pepper flakes, cumin, or oregano, all of which complement a classic meatloaf. This seasoning mix comes from Cajun cuisine, which originated in Louisiana in the 18th century and is known for its fiery foods.

Make it easy by purchasing Cajun seasoning from your local grocery store. Or, if you have the component spices at home, you can mix them to make a custom blend. You don't need much Cajun seasoning for its flavor to be present, so 1 tablespoon for every pound of meat is sufficient, give or take. To ensure you evenly distribute the spices into the meat mixture, you can first mix them into the milk or eggs. If you don't want your meatloaf to be exclusively spicy, you can create a sweet and spicy combo by making a brown sugar or maple glaze to accompany it.

The rich and fatty nature of butter is a perfect solution when you want meatloaf to be extremely juicy. This ingredient is also one of the most practical since butter is a kitchen staple that most people have on hand. Instead of adding it to the meat mixture while it is raw, you can take a different approach: Allow the meatloaf to cook as usual until it is almost done, then remove it from the oven temporarily and douse it with butter.

Either pour melted butter on top or use room-temperature butter and allow the hot meatloaf to soften it. Next, return the meatloaf to the oven to complete the cooking process. Moreover, you can also create a buttery glaze, such as a brown butter or garlic butter sauce, both of which have incredible umami notes. Whichever technique you use, you can be assured that butter is the perfect addition to create a rich meatloaf.

You might wonder how exactly molasses would take your meatloaf to new heights. Simply put, it is a fantastic addition for people who want their dish to have layers of complex flavor. Molasses is the byproduct of the sugar refining process. The dark, thick liquid remains after manufacturers extract sugar from boiled sugar cane juice. It has a warm flavor with subtle hints of sweetness and smokiness. Although you often see it used in baked goods, such as gingerbread, it works in savory foods, too, because of its unique properties.

To use it in meatloaf, you can employ it one of two ways. First, include a small amount in the loaf for a less prominent flavor. Or, secondly, make a glaze with it by combining the molasses with ketchup and brown sugar, making for a sweet yet tangy sauce. Luckily, molasses is thick, so you don't need to reduce it on the stovetop. Don't forget to perform a taste test and adjust the glaze ingredients to your liking.