WW Recipe of the Day: Classic Paula Deen Meatloaf - Old Fashioned Homemade Meatloaf
This Paula Deen Meatloaf Recipe is one of my family's favorites. If you are looking for a great old-fashioned, homemade meatloaf, that's easy to make with great flavor, this is it.
I love Paula's approach to simple easy home cooking. The problem is that, though tasty, most of her recipes are far from light or healthy.
This is the homemade meatloaf recipe I make most often these days. It comes from her original The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook (affiliate link). I love that it uses oats instead of bread crumbs and has a sweet ketchup based topping.
Paula Deen Meatloaf
How to make Paula Deen's meatloaf?
Meatloaf has long been a family favorite, and this combination is one I come back to again and again. It is moist and flavorful and so easy. If you like basic old-fashioned meatloaf you will love this one.
While most meatloaf recipes are generally pretty easy, this one might just be the simplest there is. First, you preheat the oven to 375°F. While it's heating up, in a large bowl mix together the ground beef, chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, an egg, a cup of diced tomatoes, oats, and salt and pepper.
Then scrape the mixture onto a baking sheet (affiliate link) and form it into a loaf shape. In a small bowl (affiliate link) stir together ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard for the topping. Spread the topping mixture over the loaf and bake until done. Easy. Peasy.
How Many Calories and WW Points in this Classic Old-Fashioned Meatloaf?
According to my calculations, each generous serving (¼th recipe) has 324 calories and
7 *SmartPoints (Green plan)
7 *SmartPoints (Blue plan)
6 *SmartPoints (Purple plan)
8 *PointsPlus (Old plan)
To see your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, Click here!
Do you cover a meatloaf when your baking it?
I always bake my meatloaf uncovered in a 350F degree to 375F degree oven. Sometimes I bake it in a loaf pan (affiliate link).
Other times I form it into a loaf shape and bake it on a larger foil-lined baking sheet (affiliate link) or in a casserole dish (affiliate link). Roasting assorted vegetables at the same time creates a one pan meal.
I also sometimes bake mini meatloaves in a muffin tin.
How long does it take to cook a 2 pound meatloaf at 350 degrees?
A 2-pound meatloaf will usually cook in about an hour at 350F degrees. Try to avoid overcooking or the meat will start getting tough and crumbly.
The best way to know when a meatloaf is done is by checking its internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer (affiliate link). When it reaches 155°F, you can pull it from the oven.
Allowing the loaf to rest for a few minutes before you slice and serve gives the juices inside the meatloaf time to redistribute and settle, instead of running out when cut.
What can you use instead of breadcrumbs in meatloaf?
Paula uses quick cooking oats instead of breadcrumbs in this recipe. Other good substitutions for breadcrumbs in meatloaf include:
- Slices of bread soaked in milk
- Cracker crumbs (saltine, Ritz, etc.)
- Crushed cornflakes or bran flakes
- Boxed stuffing mix such as Stovetop
- Cooked rice or quinoa
- Matza meal
- Ground flaxseed
- Almond meal
- Finely chopped vegetables (carrots, squash, cauliflower, celery, spinach, mushrooms, onions, etc.)
- Grated Parmesan cheese
What holds the meatloaf together?
The binders that hold meatloaf together include any liquid, eggs and/or any of the dry ingredients such as oats or breadcrumbs.
Tips for making Paula Deen's Meatloaf, Substitutions & Variations
- Different Meats?
I used lean ground beef. Ground turkey or a combination of beef, turkey and/or ground pork would work as well. - No egg?
Use a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes instead of 1 cup and leave out the egg. - No diced tomatoes?
Substitute salsa or tomato sauce. - No onion?
Use dried onion flakes instead. - No green pepper?
Leave it out. - Lower sugar?
Use your favorite sugar substitute in place of the brown sugar in the topping. - More flavorful?
Add your favorite meatloaf seasonings such as granulated garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning blend, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, etc.
Meatloaf Serving Suggestions
Some of our favorite sides to serve alongside meatloaf include:
- Skinny Creamy Mashed Potatoes or Skinny Mashed Sweet Potatoes
- Baked Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes
- Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
- Parmesan Roasted Asparagus
- Peas
- Roasted Carrots
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Carrots & Sweet Potatoes
- Lighter Healthier Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese or Light Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Cauliflower
Ways to Use Leftover Meatloaf
- I love to use leftover meatloaf to make a sandwich on light toast with ketchup, mustard, lettuce and pickles.
- Chop it up and mix it with cooked rice to stuff bell peppers.
- Crumble it up and add to a jar of marinara sauce served over pasta or zucchini noodles.
- Use it in place of ground meat to make chili or tacos.
- Chop it up and add it to vegetable soup.
Are You Ready To Firmly Plant Yourself
On The Path To Lasting Weight Loss Success?
If you've made this Classic Meatloaf Recipe, please give the recipe a star rating below and leave a comment letting me know how you liked it. And stay in touch on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Classic Paula Deen Meatloaf - Old Fashioned Homemade Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup diced canned tomatoes with their juice
- ½ cup quick cooking oats
Topping Ingredients
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
Instructions
- Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375F degrees.
- In a large bowl mix together all meatloaf ingredients well. Place the mixture into a 9x13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish and shape into a loaf.
- Mix together the topping ingredients and spread over the loaf.
- Bake for about 45 - 60 minutes or until an instant read thermometer registers 155 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
Recipe Notes
- Different Meats? I used lean ground beef. Ground turkey or a combination of beef, turkey and/or ground pork would work as well.
- No egg? Use a 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes instead of 1 cup and leave out the egg.
- No diced tomatoes? Substitute salsa or tomato sauce.
- No onion? Use dried onion flakes instead.
- No green pepper? Leave it out.
- Lower sugar? Use your favorite sugar substitute in place of the brown sugar in the topping.
- More flavorful? Add your favorite meatloaf seasonings such as granulated garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning blend, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, etc.
Source: The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook (affiliate link) by Paula Deen
*Points® calculated by WW. *PointsPlus® and SmartPoints® calculated by Simple Nourished Living; Not endorsed by Weight Watchers International, Inc. All recipe ingredients except optional items included in determining nutritional estimates. SmartPoints® values calculated WITHOUT each plan's ZeroPoint Foods (Green plan, Blue plan, Purple plan) using the WW Recipe Builder.
If You Like this Old-Fashioned MeatLoaf Recipe You Might Also Like:
- Skinny Mini Meatloaf Muffins
- Basic Meatloaf Recipe
- Southwest Meatloaf Muffins
- Healthy WW Meatloaf Recipe
- WW Turkey Meatloaf with Quinoa
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Subscribe to Get: Top 10 Reader Favorite Recipes
The Top 10 Most Popular Recipes (PDF) on Simple Nourished Living + Weekly Support Emails with Tips & Easy Healthy Recipes Not Found Anywhere Else!
Rebekah
I tried the one with cheese-- it was good! I'm gluten-free so I replaced the crackers with almond meal.
Sharon
Do you know the sodium content?
Patti cochran
Absolutely delious made it for second time this time I sauteed the onions and dad fresh mushroom sauteed and left out green peppers but I have shared this recipe with my friends.