Mom’s Best Meatloaf – Gluten-Free Meatloaf Recipe
Every single time my mom comes over to visit, my husband and kids want her to make meatloaf. It is like they have some sort of meatloaf shortage when they are stuck with me as a cook. The last time mom came over and got the meatloaf request, I decided I needed to learn how to make mom’s best meatloaf since it is also a gluten-free meatloaf recipe without any substitutions or changes.
Mom’s best meatloaf recipe is a gluten-free meatloaf recipe with oats as the binder and made with ground beef, oats, onions, eggs, milk, and a sweet and tangy ketchup glaze that is baked to perfection. This recipe was actually handed down from her mom so I guess I should really call this recipe Grandma Tootie’s Best Meatloaf but I sort of hated meatloaf back when my grandma was making this meatloaf.
Gluten-Free Meatloaf Ingredients
So many meatloaf recipes call for crackers, bread, or breadcrumbs. This old-fashioned meatloaf recipe uses oats as the binder keeping the meatloaf together. This helps catapult my mom’s meatloaf into an easy gluten-free recipe. For this meatloaf recipe, you will need the staples of most meatloaves.
- Ground Beef: I would recommend a 90/10 or 93/7 beef for this to keep from too much shrinkage from the fat being cooked out.
- Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats. If you only have quick oats, this will work as well.
- Milk: Whatever you have in the fridge will be fine. We use 2% milk.
- Eggs: The whole thing, not just yolks or whites.
- Onions: A diced white or sweet onion will do just fine.
- Salt and Pepper
The best part of this meatloaf might actually be the glaze on top. This glaze is a sweet and tangy combination of ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar.
How to Make Mom’s Best Meatloaf
In a large bowl combine the oats, eggs, milk, onion. Then mix the ground beef, salt, and pepper into the mixture. I use my hands. My mom likes to use the mix and chop
. But whatever your preference, mix the hamburger with the oat mixture.
When the hamburger and oats are mixed together form two mounds of meat in a 13X9 pan or lasagna pan
.
Form the two mounds into oval-shaped loaves, leaving a space between each meatloaf. Forming two smaller meatloaves allows for the cooking time to be less. A full two-pound meatloaf can take a long time to bake. When the loaves are formed you are ready for the best part. It is time to prepare the glaze for the top of the meatloaf.
Mix the ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar together until the sugar is completely dissolved in the ketchup and mustard. Then spread the glaze over the top of the loaves of meat.
Bake the meatloaves for 30-40 minutes on 350º or until the middle of the meatloaf is fully cooked and the juices run clear. When the meatloaf is done, let it sit for 5 minutes before cutting to keep the juices in as much as possible.
If this recipe sounds amazing, then you will also want to try my ham balls that have a bourbon glaze over the top. The same glaze would also be great on this meatloaf.
Mom’s Best Recipes
I don’t know about you, but moms have all the best recipes. Here are a few more recipes I have stolen from my mom’s recipe box.
Gluten-Free Recipes
Crock Pot Dr. Pepper Pulled Pork
Quick Cheesy Potatoes – Easy Loaded Cheesy Potatoes Recipe
Crock Pot Cajun Bacon Beef Roast
Mom’s Best Meatloaf, a Gluten-Free Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup milk
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Tangy Meatloaf Glaze
- ½ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons mustard
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, milk, and eggs together. Then add the salt, pepper, onions and ground beef. Mix together with your hands to completely incorporate.
- In a 13X9 pan or lasagna pan form two mounds of meat and mold into ovals. You may also put in one large bread pan as well.
- Mix together the ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Spread over the top of each meatloaf.
- Bake on 350° for 30-40 minutes if baking two smaller loaves. If baking a large loaf in a bread pan, it may take over an hour to fully cook.
- Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
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This is easy to make, and really good. I will be making it again. The glaze is great, also very moist and tasty.
Was looking for a recipe reminiscent of the meatloaf I grew up on (my mother has morphed her recipe over the empty-nesting years to better suite her own tastes, and it no longer resembles what her little kids used to like). This one looked so good! I had to tweak it a bit since I saw a few differences. Here is what I changed: I lessened the amount of onion and made up the difference with finely diced red bell pepper, then sauteed both before adding to the mixing bowl; I squirted maybe 1/3-1/2 cups ketchup into the meatloaf when mixing; I added a generous pour of apple cider vinegar to the glaze mixture (sorry I didnโt measure but it was likely a heavy 1/8 cup if I had to guess). I also let the oatmeal sit in the egg and milk mixture maybe 5 minutes to soften it up a bit.
This was such a delicious meatloaf, and just like I remembered it paired up with mashed potatoes! MMMMM. My hat is off to you, and I thank you for returning a fond childhood memory to me ๐
I made this recipe tonight and it turned out great! The meatloaf was very moist and the glaze was so good. I did not change anything in the recipe and it was easy to follow! Thanks for sharing your momโs meatloaf recipe.
Very easy to make and this was very TASTY! Best meatloaf I had!!!
I love this recipe. Its the moistest, most delicious meatloaf I’ve ever had!!
I have made this recipe several times and I love it. Iโm single so I do half the recipe and itโs easy to adjust. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
The only difference between this one and my mom’s…my mom always added rubbed sage and cut back on the milk and added ketchup and mustard to the mixture. She also always used cracker crumbs. I made this one and LOVE it!!
Her glaze was corn syrup, ketchup, brown sugar and a dash of Worcestershire. Added the last 15 min of cooking… with corn syrup and brown sugar it burns easily. Loaves were covered in bacon from the beginning. ๐
Just a note this recipe is only gluten free if certified gluten free oats are used. Regular oats can often be cross contaminated with wheat.
Great recipes the family loves it. My kids especially love the glaze. Dads the cook here and btw, whatโs meatloaf without a little Cabernet or merlot????!!โค๏ธ๐ค๐
Loved it. Only used 1 egg. Thank you