Quaker Oats Classic Meatloaf

Classic Quaker Oats Meatloaf

Classic Quaker Oats Meatloaf really is an old-school classic meatloaf. Just plain cookin’ & hardly anything to the making it of it at all. It’s one of those recipes that really makes you appreciate the taste of FOOD.

Quaker Oats Classic Meatloaf

Quaker Oats Classic Meatloaf

It seems everyone wants more, more, more when it comes to flavors in our food (including me who thinks a little Sriracha never hurts, lol!) but it’s nice to have a little break and celebrate with a simple meal like this classic Quaker Oats Meatloaf recipe.

Plus this is a great “It’s 4:00 & I don’t know what to make for dinner but it’s gotta be easy” recipe. I almost always have a little sales priced ground beef in the freezer. I buy larger amounts when the price drops and divvy it up, label it and chuck it in the freezer.

Home-made Onion Soup Mix

This is the first meatloaf I ever made (under my Mom’s direction) and I still remember trying to mix it with a spoon…but she wanted me to get my hands in it. “What?! Noooooooo – it’s so gross!” I thought.

But Mom was right – clean fingertips are just the thing to mix without overworking the meat into a dense mass.

Quaker Oats Classic Meatloaf

Quaker Oats Classic Meatloaf

This is also another recipe in my little series to use my Home-made Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix. I’ve really been enjoying all the retro flavors. They taste like “home.”

My folks just love this old familiar standby, and so did my kids, so this recipe has served our family well over the decades. You can make it in a freeform loaf, like I did, in a loaf pan or in an 8 x 8″ pan. If you want to speed things along, make these in muffin pans.

Quaker Oats Classic Meatloaf

Quaker Oats Classic Meatloaf

Quaker Oats Classic Meatloaf

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

  • 1 to 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (or turkey)
  • 3/4 cups Quaker Oats (regular or instant)
  • 3/4 to 1 cup tomato juice or V-8 (use less if using less ground beef)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix or 1/4 cup of Home-made Onion Soup Mix
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix lightly but thoroughly with fingertips. Shape into a 10″ x 6″ loaf on a rack or place in a loaf (bread pan) shaping the to into a mound.

If desired top with ketchup or Chili Sauce.

Bake on a foil-lined pan or in loaf pan for 55 minutes to an hour or until no longer pink in the center. Let stand 5 minutes, drain off any drippings & serve.

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I’ll be bringing this recipe to Angie’s Fiesta Friday, hosted this week by the incomparable Jhuls @ The Not So Creative Cook. Do stop by and take a peek at all the bloggers linking up their best creations.

 

Classic Quaker Oats Meatloaf - This is the recipe, the one you grew up on that's been around since the '60s...eating this meatloaf is like coming home and it's so easy to make a child make it! And I did, lol!! Make Free form for extra crunchy outside or in a loaf pan. #QuakerOatsMeatloaf #Meatloaf

22 thoughts on “Classic Quaker Oats Meatloaf

  1. Barbara Douglass

    I am making the meat loaf for dinner. It is the way my mother did it in the 1940s. I did it in the 50 on. Sme how I I lost the recipe but now it is in my computer. Thank you. This old lady has been craving it. Brings back memories of days long gone by.

  2. Jeff (frey) polk

    Hi Jeff here,
    Im the cook in this house and i also use a small can or tomato past 1/2 in the loaf and 1/2 on top. I also put 1/2 of the mixture in the loaf pan and then i spread string cheese
    across it and put the rest of the rest of the meat on top and top with remaining sauce.

    • FrugalHausfrau

      Jeff, I love it!! Especially the string cheese.Heck you could even add a little Italian seasoning to that.

      Mollie

    • FrugalHausfrau

      Hi Jack, sure!! I was just thinking of making my Aunt’s Hot Dog Sauce as she called it! We just had Chili cheese dogs the other day…

      Mollie

  3. This looks great Mollie– warm and homey! Just like my mom used to make! I need to have her over and make it and serve it on her China (no in my cupboard!). thanks!! Hope all’s well with you friend. What have you been up to?? xo

    • Rosemary Crawford George

      My mom made Quaker Oats meatloaf for her nine children and hungry husband every week, i make if often too . She used 6 oz of tomato paste instead of v8 and diced onions and peppers sautéed and added , so no onion soup mix in hers. A Good comfort food recipe . I just made one but I mixed in nearly a pound of ground pork to 2 lbs grounds beef so it will last thru the week for a couple of dinners.

      • FrugalHausfrau

        Hi Rosemary sorry to reply late… I always love to hear how people’s moms did things back in the day. 🙂 I like your style. A little ground pork makes meatloaf so moist and you cannot beat extras for leftovers. Believe it or not, we always made meatloaf sandwiches here at our house. A little lettuce, some thinly sliced onion, and lots of mustard!

  4. I am sure I have seen dried onion flakes somewhere. Think, Jhuls! Think! I will make sure to save this recipe and make both the onion soup mix and this hearty meatloaf. I love that you added oats! This would be perfect when I make homemade ketchup! Yay! So exciting! Thanks for bringing another lovely stuff to Fiesta Friday #164!

    • I have been wanting to make home-made ketchup forever!! I don’t eat a lot of ketchup (but love it with grilled cheese – strange, huh?) but I think I would like it more home-made. Ketchup is kinda fascinating and did you know there were all kinds of ketchup in days gone by, not just tomato?

      I digress – and thanks again for hosting for us!! Onion granuales will work, too, btw…

  5. What a great and simple recipe for meatloaf. Love how easy and quick it is to put together, full of classic flavors and just darn good!

    • Thanks Lily. It sure brought back a lot of childhood memories. There was a time I’d turn up my nose at this old recipe in favor for ever more complicated ones! I’m glad I revisted.

  6. This is pretty much my mom’s meatloaf too! Except now I use fresh diced onions and shredded carrots. This is also one of our stand-by “what the heck do we eat tonight meals.” Usually accompanied by smashed taters and green beans. 🙂

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