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I love that this stove top stuffing meatloaf doesn’t taste like a shortcut, even though it absolutely is one. Savory and herby all the way through, browned outside, moist inside, with a sweet, tangy ketchup glaze. Add mashed potatoes and call dinner done.

Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf sliced on a plate with a ketchup glaze.

Meatloaf was my mother-in-law’s signature dish, and whenever we have meatloaf at my house, we think of her. Stove top stuffing meatloaf is what I make for family dinner on a regular weeknight, because it’s one of those no-fuss dinners that feels familiar and filling.

I want my meatloaf browned on the outside, so I shape it free-form in a 9×13 instead of packing it into a loaf pan. It gets room to brown on every side, and with 85/15 beef it isn’t sitting down in its own fat the way it can in a loaf pan.

If you’re planning the rest of the week, you’ll find more weeknight dinners in my easy beef recipes.

WEEKNIGHT FAVORITE

Why I Let a Box of Stove Top Season My Meatloaf

When I want meatloaf without pulling out a long list of seasonings, I grab a box of Stove Top. It holds the meatloaf together and seasons it at the same time, and with the ketchup and garlic in there too, I don’t need to add any extra salt. That’s a big part of what makes this such an easy weeknight dinner.

Read This First

The whole box of Stove Top goes in dry, straight from the box. I mix the entire package right into the ground beef with everything else, and I haven’t tested this recipe with the stuffing made up first, so that’s not something I’d recommend.

The milk, water, eggs and ketchup give those dry crumbs all the moisture they need, and they soften as the meatloaf bakes. I don’t get any hard or crunchy pieces in the finished loaf, and it still tastes like meatloaf, just a more flavorful, seasoned version.

What Goes Into This Meatloaf

Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf ingredients.

Ground beef: I use 85/15 because it has enough fat to keep the meatloaf moist and flavorful without making it overly greasy. That’s the beef I made this recipe with, so it’s the one I can vouch for.
Stove Top Stuffing: I use the Savory Herbs variety because I like the traditional herb flavor. It’s what gives this meatloaf with stuffing more flavor than a basic one.
Ketchup: Ketchup does two jobs here. Half goes into the meat mixture for flavor, and the other half goes on top as the sweet, tangy glaze.
Milk and water: Both go in to give the dry stuffing its moisture, and the milk adds a little richness too. I use whole milk, but 1% works, and I wouldn’t expect it to make a big difference in the finished meatloaf.

Two slices of Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf with a ketchup glaze, served with mashed potatoes.

How to Make Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf

Step 1: Line the Dish With a Foil Sling Fold a long piece of heavy duty foil lengthwise so it runs the length of a 9×13 baking dish, as wide as the meatloaf will be, with extra hanging over both ends.

Step 2: Mix and Shape the Loaf Add everything except the second half of the ketchup to a large bowl, including the whole box of dry stuffing mix. Mix with a big spoon or your hands until it’s well combined, then shape it into a loaf on the foil. Stove Top stuffing meatloaf shaped in a baking dish.

Step 3: Bake, Bake uncovered at 350°F for 40 minutes. Baked Stove Top stuffing meatloaf in a baking dish.

Step 4: Glaze and Finish Spread the rest of the ketchup over the top, staying away from the edges so it does not slide down. Bake 20 more minutes until the center reads 160°F. Stove Top stuffing meatloaf brushed with sauce.

Step 5: Rest and Slice Let it rest for 5 minutes so the juices settle and the meatloaf firms up, then slice it.

Tried It & Loved It!

Love meatloaf but haven’t found a recipe I really enjoyed until this one…delicious and makes great sandwiches too! Will definitely make this again and recommend!

– Deb

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A Few Things Worth Knowing

Keep the glaze off the edges. Spread the ketchup over the top of the loaf and stop short of the sides, or it slides down into the dish instead of staying on the meatloaf.
Lift it out with the foil. Grab the overhang on both ends and the whole meatloaf comes out of the dish in one piece, which makes slicing a lot easier.
Cut hearty slices. This makes 10 slices, and it holds together well, so cut them on the thick side rather than thin.

Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf with ketchup glaze, sliced on a platter.

Ways to Change It Up

Try a different stuffing flavor. Any variety of Stove Top works here, so swap in the one your family likes best.
Use broth instead of water. Chicken, beef or vegetable broth in place of the water gives it a little more savory flavor.
Change the topping. Not a ketchup fan? Use BBQ sauce on top instead, store-bought or my homemade BBQ sauce, or leave the topping off. The meatloaf still bakes through and holds together without it.
Leave out the water. A couple of my readers leave out the water because they wanted a less moist loaf, and they liked how it turned out. I haven’t made it that way myself, so I keep the water in.
Other ground meats. I’ve only made this with ground beef. If you try ground turkey or chicken, cook it to 165°F.

What I Serve With It

This is classic comfort food for me, so it goes on the table with mashed potatoes, a green salad and warm dinner rolls. My mashed potato casserole takes care of the potatoes. If you want a cooked vegetable instead of the salad, my easy garlic green beans are a good fit. For bread, air fryer garlic bread can stand in for the rolls.

Two slices of Stove Top Stuffing Meatloaf with ketchup glaze on a plate.

Leftovers, Make-Ahead and Freezing

Leftovers: Keep leftover meatloaf in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat slices in the microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. At my house, the leftovers turn into meatloaf sandwiches.

Make it ahead: You can mix and shape the meatloaf up to 24 hours before baking. Cover it tightly, keep it in the fridge, and bake it as written, going by the thermometer since it goes into the oven cold.

Freeze one for later: One of my readers makes two meatloaves at a time and freezes the second one unbaked for later. She leaves the ketchup topping off until it’s time to bake, then thaws it in the fridge overnight and bakes it as written to 160°F.

Freezing a baked meatloaf: Wrap the whole loaf in a double layer of heavy duty foil, or wrap slices in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw a whole loaf in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in a 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes.

More Meatloaf and Ground Beef Dinners

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