Cindy's Meatloaf
Friday, March 28, 2025 2:01
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I wanted to share my sister Cindy’s meatloaf recipe with you today. My sister makes the best meatloaf. Everyone loves it. She adds a secret ingredient to it which sounds a bit unusual. Bisquick Baking Mix.
Yes, you read that right. Bisquick Baking Mix. It does sound like a rather odd addition, and I was quite sceptical about it until I tasted her meatloaf. It was fantastic and had the loveliest flavor and texture. I was sold! Beat meatloaf I had ever eaten.
People who don’t live in North American will probably be a bit unfamiliar with this baking mix. It is a product that you can buy in the shops and you can use it to make pancakes, baking powder biscuits and a whole bunch of other delicious things.
You can also make your own copycat recipe. I do and I keep it in the freezer. You can find my recipe for that here. I’ve been making my own for years.
Anyways, my sister’s meatloaf is one of the best meatloaves you could ever want to taste. Using simple ingredients as well. You just mix and shape and bake. The glaze is entirely optional and something which I add because my family always enjoyed a glaze on meatloaf.
You can enjoy this without the glaze or with. It’s entirely up to you. Some people like this with a gravy and others enjoy it plain with a dollop of ketchup on the size for dipping.
Meatloaf was not something I ever enjoyed when I was growing up. I think that was because our mom always bought the cheapest ground beef. Loaded with fat and gristle and sometimes bone. If there was anything nasty in it, it always landed on my plate. Seriously. I hated anything my mother made with ground beef for that very reason.
Today I buy a locally sourced, free range grass-feed ground beef and it is lovely. Not too fatty. I have never come across anything nasty in it. I am enjoying ground beef now like I was never able to when I was a child.
In any case, I do hope you will give this delicious meatloaf a go. I think you will be suitably impressed! Maybe it will even become a favorite with your family. Simple ingredients, put together in the most delicious way.
WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CINDY’S MEATLOAF
The secret ingredient to my sister’s meatloaf recipe is the addition of Bisquick baking mix. No worries if you can’t get it. I have included the link to my homemade recipe for it on the recipe card. You can also find the recipe here. Make Your Own Baking Mix
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) ground beef (we use local grass-fed)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 large egg
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (65g) Bisquick baking mix (see notes for a link to make your own)
For the optional glaze:
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
We always buy our ground beef at either the farm market or at a local farm where we get our eggs. It is locally produced grain-fed organic beef and it’s good. It is quite lean as well.
I used Heinz tomato ketchup. There are no other kinds. (LOL)
My sister doesn’t put a glaze on the meatloaf when she makes it. This is my addition. My family always enjoyed a sweetish glaze on their meatloaf.
HOW TO MAKE CINDY’S MEATLOAF
This old family favorite is very simple to make and something which our family has been enjoying for many years.
Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a small loaf tin with plastic wrap and spray a shallow casserole dish that is large enough to hold the meatloaf with baking spray. Alternately butter it.
Crumble the beef into a bowl. Add the onion, egg, salt, pepper, tomato ketchup and Bisquick baking mix. Mix lightly together without over-mixing, but do make sure everything is evenly distributed.
Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf pan and press it down lightly smoothing over the top. Tip it out into the baking dish. Discard the plastic wrap.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While it is baking whisk the glaze ingredients together until well combined.
Spoon the glaze over top and brush it over with a pastry brush. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. (If not doing the glaze leave to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.)
Cut into thick slices to serve.
This meatloaf is a real family favorite. Everyone loves it. I thought that you would love it also and so I got the recipe from my sister to share it with you. The leftovers make great sandwiches as well, hot or cold!
I enjoyed this meatloaf today with some scalloped potatoes and steamed carrots and broccoli. It was a hearty and delicious dinner that I really enjoyed. I sent some over to my next-door neighbor for her to enjoy also, and I will freeze the rest to use at a future date.
Ground Beef is such a versatile ingredient and often one of the more inexpensive options. Here are a few other ways that we enjoy using it in our kitchen!
GROUND BEEF AND BARLEY SOUP – This delicious soup can be on the table in about half an hour. It is hearty and loaded with beef, vegetables and barley in a delicious broth. Nothing could be simpler, faster or tastier! This soup spells winner to me! We like to enjoy it with either crackers or crusty rolls.
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE - This is an excellent, from scratch Bolognese sauce, and is the result of probably thirty or so years of my trial and testing of what worked for me and what didn’t. The secret is to brown the meat, onions and garlic off and then add the wine and allow it to almost evaporate until adding the remaining ingredients. This really concentrates the essence of the wine into the flavor of the sauce and makes for a really delicious result.
Yield: Serves 4
Author: Marie Rayner
Cindy’s Meatloaf
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 1 H & 15 MTotal time: 1 H & 30 M
This is the recipe that my sister uses to make her meatloaf. It always turns out delicious and everyone loves it. She doesn’t add a glaze, that’s my addition, and it’s completely optional.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds (680g) ground beef (we use local grass-fed)
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 large egg
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup (65g) Bisquick baking mix (see notes for a link to make your own)
For the optional glaze:
- 1/4 cup (62g) tomato ketchup
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 TBS soft light brown sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Line a small loaf tin with plastic wrap and spray a shallow casserole dish that is large enough to hold the meatloaf with baking spray. Alternately butter it.
- Crumble the beef into a bowl. Add the onion, egg, salt, pepper, tomato ketchup and Bisquick baking mix. Mix lightly together without over-mixing, but do make sure everything is evenly distributed.
- Spoon the mixture into the lined loaf pan and press it down lightly smoothing over the top. Tip it out into the baking dish. Discard the plastic wrap.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. While it is baking whisk the glaze ingredients together until well combined.
- Spoon the glaze over top and brush it over with a pastry brush. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. (If not doing the glaze leave to bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.)
- Cut into thick slices to serve.
Notes
I have an excellent recipe on making your own baking mix which you can find here. It is excellent. It makes a fair bit, but it can be frozen, and you can use it to make pancakes, biscuits, waffles, etc. I also have quite a few recipes on here that use it. Here are just a few:
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