It was my sister Pam who named this Kalyn’s Best Meatloaf Recipe, and this is the meatloaf everyone in my family has been making for years! Give it a try and see if your also thinks this is the best meatloaf!

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Kalyn's Best Meatloaf shown on serving plate and also on baking rack in background.

This family-favorite meatloaf that my sister Pam dubbed Kalyn’s Best Meatloaf Recipe is something I first made many years ago, long before food blogs existed or I ever thought about carb-conscious cooking. And through the years many family members have enjoyed the meatloaf and asked for the recipe.

Then in 2005 when I started Kalyn’s Kitchen eventually I posted the family’s favorite meatloaf recipe (with a cringe-worthy photo that certainly wouldn’t have enticed anyone to make it.) And I talked about how this meatloaf recipe uses canned mushroom soup and the Lipton onion soup mix, which is certainly not the norm for my blog.

And then, even though all my family thinks this is the best meatloaf recipe ever, I might have let this recipe hang out in the archives forever without updating the photos until it was brought to my attention that fairly regularly people in my family make the meatloaf for friends. And I found out that family members who love the recipe were sharing the link to that old post with horrible photos with their friends who had enjoyed the meatloaf! So I had to get better photos!

And when Kara and I made the meatloaf you see here, it was SO good that we realized it probably deserves to be called my BEST meatloaf recipe, even if it uses some convenience products. And we decided to share it during the holidays when people might like a super-simple and foolproof meatloaf recipe. (And when I calculated the nutritional information I was happy to see that the meatloaf isn’t nearly as high in carbs as I had imagined!)

Of course if you’d never make a meatloaf with processed ingredients, then this recipe isn’t for you! But if you’re interested you can read below to find tips for making a less-processed, gluten-free, or lower-carb version of this recipe that most of my extended family members call Kalyn’s Best Meatloaf Recipe!

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

Why does my family think this is the best meatloaf recipe?

There are several reasons people in my family think this is my best meatloaf:

  • First, they love the combination of ground beef and pork sausage that adds flavor.
  • Second, the combination of Lipton Onion Soup Mix (affiliate link) and Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup (affiliate link) gives a Beef Stroganoff vibe to the meatloaf that my family really loves.
  • And finally, this recipe is easy enough to make for a week-night dinner and makes two meatloaves so you have some for another meal.

Want a Gluten-Free or Lower-Carb Version of my best meatloaf:

I didn’t tag this recipe Low-Carb, but when I calculated the nutritional information I was pleasantly surprised that even with the breadcrumbs it came out to only 10 carbs per serving. But here are some tips if you want to try making a version that’s gluten-free and even lower in carbs.

Want to see more of my Family Favorite Recipes?

Use Denny Family Recipes for more family-favorite recipe ideas like this one.

Kalyn's Best Meatloaf (Family Favorite) process shots collage

How to Make Kalyn’s Best Meatloaf Recipe:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
  2. Spray Broiler Tray (affiliate link) with non-stick spray.
  3. Crumble ground beef and sausage into a bowl and let it come to room temperature.
  4. Add mushroom soup, onion soup mix, bread crumbs, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  5. Mix ingredients with your hands until they’re well-combined. 
  6. Divide and shape into two loaves. (I make diagonal grooves, purely for decoration.)
  7. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until meatloaf is firm and well browned.
  8. Internal temperature must be at least 160F/70C when you test with an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link).
  9. Serve hot, with ketchup if you prefer! I would use G. Hughes Sugar-Free Ketchup (affiliate link)
  10. This freezes very well, and it’s great to pull out of the freezer for a quick dinner.

Kalyn's Best Meatloaf (Family Favorite) close-up photo

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

I was pleasantly surprised that this meatloaf recipe came out to only 10 carbs per serving. If you wanted to make it into a low-carb meal it would be delicious with Roasted Turnips, Roasted Cauliflower with Parmesan, or Twice-Baked Cauliflower.

Kalyn's Best Meatloaf (Family Favorite) close-up photo
Yield: 10 servings

Kalyn's Best Meatloaf Recipe (Family Favorite)

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

It was my sister Pam who named this Kalyn's Best Meatloaf Recipe, and this is the family-favorite meatloaf recipe that everyone in my family has made for years!

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • 12 oz package pork sausage
  • 1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs (or low-carb bread crumbs)
  • 1 pkg. Lipton onion soup mix (dried mix)
  • 1 can Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup
  • 1 egg
  • 1 T garlic powder
  • salt-pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F/190C.
  2. Spray a Broiler Tray (affiliate link) with non-stick spray. (I always use this type of pan for cooking meatloaf so the fat can run out.)
  3. Crumble the ground beef and sausage into a bowl and let the meats come to room temperature.
  4. Add breadcrumbs, onion soup mix, mushroom soup, egg, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
  5. Use your clean hands to mix the ingredients, squeezing and folding over and squeezing again until ingredients are well-combined. (Don't over-mix, just mix until combined.)
  6. Divide the mixture in two and shape into two loaves. (I like to use a knife and make diagonal grooves, purely for decoration.)
  7. Bake 50-60 minutes, or until meatloaf is firm and well browned and internal temperature is at least 160F/70C when you test with an Instant Read Meat Thermometer (affiliate link).
  8. Serve hot and see if this meatloaf becomes a favorite in your family!
  9. This freezes very well, and it's great to pull out of the freezer for a quick dinner.

Notes

I use Jimmy Dean 50% less fat sausage when I can find it, but use any sausage you prefer.

See suggestions earlier in the post for making a low-carb and gluten-free version of this recipe.

This recipe created by Kalyn long before there was such a thing as a food blog!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 342Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 129mgSodium: 500mgCarbohydrates: 10.1gFiber: 0gSugar: 1gProtein: 33g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Kalyn's Best Meatloaf shown on serving platter with napkin.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
My best meatloaf recipe as originally posted definitely has some carbs and isn’t gluten-free, although when I calculated the carbs I realized this is not that much of a splurge for a carb-conscious dish, but probably not for Keto. Use the tips in this post if you want to make a version that’s more low-carb diet-friendly or gluten-free. I’m not sure what advice to give for the original South Beach Diet, but I doubt the ingredients for this are especially South Beach Diet friendly. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Oven Dinners to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2005, simply as a way to record the recipe for my family. After I found out family members were making it for friends who were asking for the recipe, I updated the photos in 2019. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2023.

Pinterest image of Kalyn's Best Meatloaf Recipe (Family Favorite)

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