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You are here: Home / Main Dishes / Beef / Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce

Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce

October 19, 2016 by Danelle 43 Comments


HERB AND GARLIC MEATLOAF WITH GARLIC BUTTER SAUCE — Homemade meatloaf, loaded with fresh herbs and topped off with warm garlic butter sauce.


Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce

Let’s talk about meatloaf. It’s one of those things that can be really good, or really, really bad. If you’ve ever had some bad meatloaf, you know exactly what I mean.

But when it’s done right, meatloaf can be absolutely amazing. And this Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce is absolutely amazing!

This, people, is by far, THE most EPIC meatloaf recipe I have ever made. I don’t want to belabor the point…just do yourself a favor and make it. It’s a showstopper for your family, your most intimate friends for a dinner party or any other peeps you’re trying to impress. Make it NOW! ~ Allison

You’ll notice some of the components of your typical meatloaf in this recipe, like beef, pork, and breadcrumbs. But you’ll also notice that popular meatloaf ingredients, like ketchup, are missing.

Instead, this meatloaf is flavored with tons of fresh herbs and garlic, and then it’s topped off with even more garlic, in the form of a garlic butter sauce.

This is, hands-down, the best meatloaf I have ever made or eaten. And my boys loved it too! In fact, I made it twice in one week, that’s how good it was.

Honestly, I would order this meatloaf in a restaurant. Provided it came with a big side of mashed potatoes!

Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce

This meatloaf will definitely feed a crowd. Or leave you with some leftovers, which is not a bad thing at all. Everyone happily ate the leftovers at my house!

Now, if you think you’ll miss that tomato-based topping that is so popular on meatloaf, or maybe some good, old-fashioned gravy, don’t worry.

The garlic butter sauce is fantastic, and like I said, with a side of mashed potatoes, everything comes together for what I would call some true comfort food.

This meatloaf recipe is truly Epic!!!!!!! I have never liked ketchup based meatloaf and have been searching for a great recipe…….. This is it! Everyone in my house ran for seconds. Truly a keeper!!!!!!!! ~ Courtney

If there is such a thing as “fancy” meatloaf, this is it right here! I can confidently say I would serve this meatloaf to company, and probably have everyone ask for the recipe.

I hope you love it as much as we did!


Be sure to save this recipe for Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce to your favorite Pinterest board for later.


Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce

This is my new meatloaf recipe!! Thank you for sharing. ~ Nadine


Here’s what you’ll need to make Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce


  • Ground beef
  • Ground pork
  • Canola oil
  • Produce: celery, garlic, onion, chives, fresh parsley, fresh sage, fresh thyme
  • Bread
  • Eggs
  • Milk
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive oil
  • Chicken stock
  • Butter
Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce

Herb and Garlic Meatloaf with Garlic Butter Sauce

Yield: 10 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Homemade meatloaf, loaded with fresh herbs and topped off with warm garlic butter sauce.

Ingredients

For the meatloaf:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground pork
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 4 slices bread
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4-1/3 cup milk

For the garlic butter sauce:

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 8-10 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups low sodium chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  2. Place the beef and pork in a large bowl.
  3. Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the celery, garlic and onion and cook until vegetables are soft, 5-7 minutes. Cool slightly, then add to the meat in the bowl.
  4. Add the parsley, chives, sage and thyme.
  5. Tear the bread into large chunks and place in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to form coarse crumbs. Add the bread crumbs to the meat mixture, along with the fresh herbs, eggs, salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup of milk.
  6. Mix until well combined. Let stand for 5-10 minutes. If mixture doesn't hold together well after 10 minutes, add additional milk, as needed, to reach desired consistency.
  7. Place the meat mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet and pat it into a rectangle. Then press in the sides of the meatloaf to form a cylinder down the middle of the pan.
  8. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until meatloaf is browned and internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
  9. While meatloaf cooks, make the garlic butter sauce. In a small sauce pan, combine the oil and garlic and bring to a boil.
  10. Lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, until garlic is lightly browned. Do not let the garlic burn. Remove the garlic from the oil and set aside.
  11. In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken stock, water, butter and cooked garlic and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, until slightly thickened.
  12. Mash the garlic with a fork. Just before serving, stir in the parsley, then season with salt and pepper.
  13. Spoon the warm sauce over the meatloaf to serve.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 531 Total Fat: 41g Saturated Fat: 12g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 27g Cholesterol: 131mg Sodium: 518mg Carbohydrates: 11g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Protein: 28g
© Danelle
Cuisine: American / Category: Main Dishes

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Who Dished It Up First: Adapted from Ina Garten

Filed Under: Beef, Main Dishes, Popular Posts

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lisa

    October 23, 2016 at 4:40 pm

    Trying this recipe…. HOW much garlic is supposed to go into the Garlic Butter Sauce…. doesn’t give an amount of cloves… I’m winging it, but would really like to know.

    Reply
    • Kelley

      November 1, 2016 at 6:22 am

      Think it says 8 cloves

      Reply
    • vera

      September 2, 2019 at 8:34 am

      the recipe clearly states 8-10 cloves for the sauce

      Reply
  2. Allison Mottas

    November 8, 2016 at 5:23 pm

    Ok, so I will just start off by saying I never, I REPEAT, NEVER, critique recipes. In fact, I have often thought I should comment on a few high contender recipes, but never do. Yes, I am a virgin recipe reviewer. This, people, is by far, THE most EPIC meatloaf recipe I have ever made. I am a foodie, so this is not written without respect for all things epicurean. I don’t want to belabor the point…just do yourself a favor and make it. It’s a showstopper for your family, your most intimate friends for a dinner party or any other peeps you’re trying to impress. Make it NOW!

    Reply
    • Danelle

      November 9, 2016 at 9:31 am

      Thank you SO much Allison! 🙂

      Reply
  3. Amber Robinson

    November 14, 2016 at 7:08 pm

    Is the meatloaf supposed to be covered the whole time while cooking, or unconvered?

    Reply
    • Danelle

      November 14, 2016 at 7:38 pm

      Uncovered.

      Reply
      • Amber Robinson

        November 22, 2016 at 10:18 am

        Thank you so much!

        Reply
  4. Nikki

    November 21, 2016 at 4:18 pm

    Can you elaborate on “Place the meat mixture onto the parchment lined baking sheet and pat it into a rectangle. Then press in the sides of the meatloaf to form a cylinder down the middle of the pan.”? I don’t quite understand.

    Reply
    • Danelle

      November 21, 2016 at 4:20 pm

      You want to shape it into a log.

      Reply
      • Nikki

        November 21, 2016 at 4:33 pm

        Thank you!! Took me a moment… loooong Monday!

        Reply
    • Nikki

      November 21, 2016 at 4:32 pm

      Never mind… you meant just shape the whole thing like a cylinder!

      Reply
  5. Gabrielle

    February 2, 2017 at 10:48 pm

    I tried this recipe for the first time today and both my husband and I loved it! I made a couple of changes but only because I didn’t have the exact ingredients. Instead of using the ground pork, I used a nitrate free pork sausage minus the casing; used gluten free Italian bread crumbs instead of the bread; and added a little hot sauce for added flavor, but I’m not sure it was necessary. It was WONDERFUL!

    I have one question. Is the garlic sauce supposed to be so thin? The taste was incredible so it didn’t matter, I was just curious. Also, can I reuse the oil that was used to “fry” the garlic?

    This was the absolute first time I ate meatloaf without ketchup! Thank you for a great recipe!

    Reply
    • Mischa

      November 4, 2018 at 1:38 pm

      Gabrielle, how much breadcrumbs did you use?

      Reply
  6. Courtney

    May 8, 2017 at 6:00 pm

    This meatloaf recipe is truly Epic!!!!!!! I have never liked ketchup based meatloaf and have been searching for a great recipe…….. This is it! Everyone in my house ran for seconds. Truly a keeper!!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • Danelle

      May 9, 2017 at 10:49 am

      Thank you SO much! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Jill

    June 12, 2017 at 3:23 pm

    Would you say that this recipe is able to be made using dried herbs instead of fresh? Looks delightful but I only have dried on hand…

    Reply
    • Danelle

      June 12, 2017 at 3:40 pm

      Yes, but you would need to use about 1/3 of the herbs as fresh.

      Reply
  8. Corey

    July 25, 2017 at 1:54 pm

    Hello, making this meatloaf for the first time. I decided to place it in a glass bread, casserole rectangular dish, when it reaches 160 internal temperature, I am going to broil it for 3 minutes, would this be ok? The Guy Cook, Corey. ☺️

    Reply
    • Danelle

      July 25, 2017 at 2:16 pm

      As long as you cook it to the appropriate internal temperature for ground beef, it should be fine.

      Reply
  9. Cindy

    July 30, 2017 at 9:36 am

    Hello! This looks delicious. I plan on making this completely of turkey (boring I know but my hubby doesn’t eat beef). Do you have any tips to keep it from becoming too dry? Also what kind of bread did you use? Would a pre-sliced wheat bread work? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Danelle

      July 30, 2017 at 5:13 pm

      Yes, wheat bread would work fine. It’s a very moist meatloaf, so you shouldn’t have too much trouble, even with turkey. You can always add an extra egg if you’re worried, and cover it while you cook it.

      Reply
  10. Nadine

    August 26, 2017 at 3:03 pm

    I made this meatloaf today and I love it. Not a big fan of ketchup . I added shallots to the sauce. It wasn’t thickening for me so I made a slurry of Sherry and cornstarch. It turned out wonderful. This is my new meatloaf recipe!! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  11. Becky E.

    November 10, 2017 at 5:34 pm

    Hi Danelle. 🙂
    Do you think oatmeal would be ok in place of the bread? My son is gluten free, but can tolerate oats. And would it be a 1:1 substitution? This looks amazing!!

    Reply
    • Danelle

      November 10, 2017 at 8:15 pm

      Yes, you can use oatmeal in place of the bread. But I don’t do a lot of gluten free cooking, so I honestly don’t know whether it’s a 1:1 substitution. My guess would be yes, but you might want to ask someone with more gluten free experience.

      Reply
    • Lisa

      November 10, 2017 at 9:40 pm

      I subbed oatmeal when I made it the 2nd time… I like the texture better.

      Reply
  12. Shannon Morscheck

    December 4, 2017 at 8:05 pm

    Hello! I just made this meatloaf for my family and was SO excited about it! It was smelling delicious, but after the 40 Minutes (our oven is usually on the warmer side and cooks things faster than usual) I took it out and let it sit for 10 Minutes. I sliced in, and it was nowhere near done :(. I put it back in, and after checking it for another 30 Minutes, my family was starving, so I took it out and microwaved it. The flavor was good, But is the cooking time way off?? Or could you maybe explain about how long and wide the loaf should be? I made it to look like the photo, but man- it was not even close. Thoughts?

    Reply
    • Danelle

      December 4, 2017 at 9:26 pm

      I’m honestly not sure. I haven’t had anyone else mention it not being done. Did you by chance cover it? I don’t mention it specifically in the recipe, but it should be cooked uncovered. I should probably change that. Otherwise, I’m not sure what could have happened. It should be quite long (I shape mine on a large baking sheet) and around 5-6 inches wide and about 2-3 inches high. Sort of a long, flat oval. Really, the best way to check for doneness is with a meat thermometer. But if it wasn’t done after an extra 30 minutes, all I can think is that your shape was quite a bit different than mine, or you maybe had it covered, which would slow down the cooking time. Hope that helps.

      Reply
      • Lisa

        December 5, 2017 at 5:17 am

        I have an oven that is hard to cook in, I added the usual 10 minutes (for my oven) and it was fine. Don’t know why the shape would be an issue, it sounds like the oven wasn’t working correctly… was it on broil instead of bake? I’d use a meat thermometer to test for doneness.

        Reply
        • Danelle

          December 5, 2017 at 7:55 am

          Thanks Lisa. I wondered about the oven too.

          Reply
  13. Minnie

    December 20, 2017 at 2:49 pm

    I don’t have pork right now and only have Chilli meat! And my husband doesn’t like Chilli, so would that work?

    Reply
  14. Julie

    April 22, 2018 at 8:26 am

    I’ve made this meatloaf before and love it. Never made the sauce though. I’m making it now. The 3/4 cup of oil used to boil the garlic. What do I do with it? Save it for another recipe? Thanks.

    Reply
    • Danelle

      April 23, 2018 at 6:45 am

      I usually just discard it. But you might be able to use it in another recipe.

      Reply
      • vera

        September 2, 2019 at 8:40 am

        An absolute WASTE to discard the oil. The oil can be used as a base for salad dressing, to cook onions, or other veggies and a whole lot more. As a “cook” you should know better!!!

        Reply
    • Angel

      July 28, 2018 at 3:50 pm

      Don’t discard the oil! It can be used just the same as you would use olive oil for cooking lots of things–it’s just garlic infused now! I keep the old olive oil bottle and label it so I know which one it is so I don’t accidentally use it for something that doesn’t play well with garlic.
      Also–Best. Meatloaf. Ever. 😉

      Reply
  15. Jen

    June 12, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    Delicious! Quite a bit of work and many dirty dishes in the process, but a fabulous meatloaf! It tastes far more gourmet than meatloaf. The flavors are so “bright.” My entire family (husband, 3 kids, and me) loved it.

    Reply
  16. Daniel

    September 11, 2018 at 9:24 am

    I made this recipe and I had to throw it in the trash it was not tasty at all and did not keep well.

    Reply
  17. Tara

    April 23, 2019 at 3:40 pm

    Delicious meatloaf! Whole family loved it, I did sub the beef and pork for 2 lbs of ground turkey and Panko bread crumbs instead of the bread.. will def make again!

    Reply
  18. Jessica Serrano

    May 13, 2019 at 5:46 pm

    If I want to sub dried breadcrumbs for making them myself, how much would I need exactly?

    Reply
    • Danelle

      May 15, 2019 at 10:16 am

      I would use the same amount.

      Reply
  19. QueenBee Rider

    August 30, 2019 at 12:56 pm

    Absolutely delicious! My boys are it with big smiles. I used 11 cloves of garlic for the butter. I used ground turkey instead of pork (pork intolerant) making the cook time a bit shorter. I also substituted rosemary for sage (sage at the market looked sad). Barley any leftovers from feeding a family of 4, I was looking forward to trying it up for a sandwich.

    Reply
  20. Gail

    September 22, 2019 at 3:33 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing this unique meatloaf recipe. I love the garlic butter sauce and the addition of fresh herbs. I look forward to checking out more of your recipes.
    A reader’s indignant response to your admission that you usually discard the oil after cooking the garlic made me smile. I once confessed to a group of older women from farming backgrounds that I had “chucked” some leftover cake cause my husband and I didn’t need the calories tempting us. There was a shocked silence. They spent quite a bit of time giving me alternative solutions, such as giving it away or cutting it up and freezing it. I don’t know if they ever looked at me quite the same after that.

    Reply
  21. Lisa

    November 9, 2019 at 4:52 pm

    I tried this recipe and was astonished the amount of olive oil that went to waste.
    Also didn’t care for the flavor of thyme and sage for a meatloaf.
    The garlic sauce was sad too. Won’t be making again. Yuck..

    Reply

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