Boston Market Meatloaf Copycat Recipe (So Easy and Full of Flavor!) (2024)

FAQs

What is the meatloaf at Boston Market made of? ›

How to Make Boston Market Meatloaf. Here are the steps for this recipe: 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.

Use high-fat meat.

For a meatloaf made with a leaner beef or turkey, consider mixing in some ground pork and/or veal in order to achieve a moist, tender meatloaf. Chopping up bacon and adding it to the mix is always a great way to add fat. Oh, and covering it in bacon never hurts, either.

The Basic Meatloaf Formula

All recipes for meatloaf start with the same basic formula: 2 pounds of ground meat and a “panade” made of bread or crackers soaked in milk. Along with a few eggs, this panade helps to hold the ground meat together and adds some essential moisture to the mix.

Herbs: Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and parsley can bring a burst of flavor to your meatloaf.

At Boston Market, we're all about the meat and our Meatloaf is no exception. This homestyle favorite is created from deliciously seasoned ground beef and pork, then topped with a rich and delicious traditional brown gravy that's sure to satisfy. It wouldn't be complete without a side of our signature mashed potatoes.

Our kitchen runs like yours — with real food made by hand.

Our all-natural chicken is freshly roasted every hour. Chocolate chunk cookies are baked fresh every morning. Cornbread is mixed in-house and baked fresh throughout the day. Broccoli & mixed vegetables are freshly chopped, then steamed.

When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well. Including larger quantities of these items should help solve the problem.

You're Not Sufficiently Seasoning the Meat

Before you cook the meatloaf, it's not a bad idea to very quickly saute a small nub of the meat mixture and give it a taste. If you feel like it needs a bit more seasoning, then adjust as necessary before baking the entire loaf. Black pepper is up to your discretion.

Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat, and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.

Why do you put baking powder in meatloaf? ›

Yes, ground beef can sometimes dry out and get tough. However, baking soda mixed with water (slurry) and added to the ground beef will ensure tender meat. It will also speed up the browning process. I use 90% ground beef, but it is very tender by adding the baking soda.

Whether you slather a thick layer of ketchup on top of the meatloaf before it goes into the oven, add a few tablespoons to the ground meat mixture, or serve extra ketchup on the side, this tangy-sweet, umami-rich condiment balances out the richness of the beef, making it an essential part of the dish.

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered. However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

Meat – For the most tender and flavorful meatloaf, we use a combination of ground beef (preferably with 80% fat content, sometimes referred to as “ground chuck”), ground pork, and ground veal. Some stores will package this together as “meatloaf mix”; if your store does, then simply purchase 2 pounds of meatloaf mix.

It is usually made with ground beef, although ground lamb, pork, veal, venison, poultry, and seafood are also used, sometimes in combination. Vegetarian adaptations of meatloaf may use imitation meat or pulses. The cooked meatloaf can be sliced like a loaf of bread to make individual portions.

No bells and whistles - just a few ingredients including beef, egg, bread crumbs and a simple tomato-based topping. Use a gentle touch with ground beef. Over-mixing will result in burgers, meatballs or meatloaves with a firm texture.

It's sliced into eight portions halfway through cooking, allowing for that sauce to penetrate each slice.