Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped bell pepper
- 1 lightly beaten egg
- 1 (8-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained of juice
- ½ cup quick-cooking oats
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat and prep: Start by preheating your oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly grease it with cooking spray. This simple step makes cleanup so much easier later.
- Mix the base: In a large bowl, combine the salt, pepper, onion, bell pepper, egg, drained diced tomatoes, and oats. Mix everything until it’s evenly combined. Then, add the ground beef and gently fold it into the mixture. Don’t overwork it, or the meatloaf might turn out dense.
- Shape the loaf: Transfer the mixture to your prepared baking sheet. Gently shape it into a loaf—it doesn’t need to be perfect! Press lightly to ensure it holds together.
- Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard. Spread this mixture generously over the top of the meatloaf. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
- Bake to perfection: Pop the meatloaf in the oven and bake for 1 hour. Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature; it should read 160°F.
- Let it rest: Once it’s done, let the meatloaf sit for 10 minutes before slicing. This step helps it hold its shape and keeps the juices locked in.
Notes
This recipe is perfect for tweaking based on your needs. Doubling it? Easy—just make two loaves side by side on a large baking sheet. Halving it? No problem; just shape a smaller loaf and keep an eye on the cooking time (it may finish a bit faster). The glaze ratio is also easy to adjust—just scale up or down as needed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner