Marry Me Meatloaf Recipe with Mushroom Gravy
This is the easiest Marry Me Meatloaf Recipe with Mushroom Gravy. Juicy, tender and loaded with flavor, your entire family will fall in love with this meal.
Serve this meatloaf recipe with mushroom gravy alongside my Easy Mashed Potatoes, One Pan Potatoes, or my Lebanese Rice recipe. Add some vegetables with this Oven Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprout recipe.
Recipe Ingredients
Marry Me Meatloaf Ingredients
- Beef – You’ll need two pounds of ground beef for this recipe. One pound of 93/7 and one pound of 80/20. When blended, this combination has the perfect amount of fat to lean beef ratio. Additionally, the fat content prevents the meatloaf from becoming dry and grainy. I would advise against using ALL lean ground beef.
- Eggs – You’ll need two eggs for this recipe. They act as a binding agent and help soften the beef.
- Milk – This recipe calls for milk. It softens the breadcrumbs and the beef as it cooks.
- Onion – This recipe calls for one cup of finely diced yellow onion, sautéed. By sautéing the onion first, you will add an extra layer of flavor and moisture to the meatloaf.
- Breadcrumbs – This recipe calls for 1+1/4 cup of lightly packed fresh breadcrumbs. Simply take 4-5 slices of day-old white bread, remove the crust and buzz it in a food processor. It will become a light and airy. You’ll need 1+1/4 cup for this recipe. However, if you use dry breadcrumbs only use ¾ cup.
- Worcestershire Sauce – This recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce.
- Seasonings – You’ll need kosher salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder for this recipe.
Mushroom Gravy Ingredients
- Butter – This recipe calls for butter to sauté the mushrooms.
- Mushrooms – You’ll need 16 ounces of mushrooms for this recipe. You can use whatever variety you enjoy most. I used sliced baby bella. Rinse the mushrooms under cold water to remove any excess dirt. Use paper towel to dry the mushrooms well. Remove as much moisture as possible. Otherwise, the mushrooms will not get a nice sear in the pan.
- Herbs – Add 2 springs of fresh thyme to the gravy to help enhance the flavors.
- Beef Broth – This recipe calls for beef broth. You can use whatever brand you enjoy most.
- Worcestershire Sauce – This recipe calls for Worcestershire sauce to help deepen the flavor.
- Seasoning – Season the gravy with kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- Cornstarch – This recipe calls for cornstarch slurry to help thicken the gravy. Simply combine the cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of water to form a slurry before adding it to the gravy. This will prevent any lumps from forming in your gravy.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Marry Me Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a quarter sheet pan with foil and lightly spray it with avocado oil spray. Make sure to cover the sides of the pan in foil. This will help lock in the juices as the meatloaf cooks.
Sauté the Onions
Sauté the onions in a dollop of butter. Once the onions are lightly browned and tender, remove them from the heat and allow them to cool completely.
Make the Fresh Breadcrumbs
Remove the crust for 4-5 slices of day-old white bread. Add the crustless bread to a food processor and buzz until it forms breadcrumbs. They should be light and airy. You’ll need 1+1/4 cup of fresh breadcrumbs.
Combine the Meatloaf
Mix the ground beef, eggs, milk, fresh breadcrumbs, (cooled) sautéed onions, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.
Mix just until combined and form an 8×4 loaf shape. (option to use a loaf pan sprayed with avocado oil spray as a shaping mold)
Do not over-mix the meat as it can become dense when overworked. Also, the shape of the loaf can impact the cook time. You want the loaf to be as even as possible.
Bake
Place the meatloaf on the prepared quarter sheet pan. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. I cooked mine for 55 minutes exactly. Let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Make the Mushroom Gravy
While the meatloaf is baking, make the gravy. Grab a sauté pan and place it over medium high heat. Add the butter and mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until they are lightly browned.
Next, deglaze the pan with beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add the fresh thyme. Bring the broth to a light boil and slowly add the cornstarch slurry. Gently stir until the gravy begins to thicken. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium/low and let the gravy simmer.
If the gravy gets too thick add more beef broth. If it is not thick enough, add a touch more cornstarch slurry, but be careful as a little goes a long way. The longer the gravy simmers the more it will reduce and thicken.
Assemble
Once the meatloaf has cooled, slice it into 1-2-inch-thick pieces. Add it to a plate with creamy mashed potatoes and top everything with the mushroom gravy. Serve and enjoy.
How to Store
Store extra gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat in a pan or in the microwave until warmed through.
Store leftover marry me meatloaf tightly wrapped in foil or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Looking for more dinner recipes? Try my One Pan Blackened Chicken Alfredo, One Pan Creamy Pesto Chicken , or this Easy Bruschetta Chicken.
Expert Tips
I like cooking meatloaf on a quarter sheet pan lined with foil. The warm air circulates the meat more freely creating a crispier exterior. Whereas, when cooking meatloaf in a loaf pan, the meat simmers and steams in its own juices preventing crispy sides and edges. That said, either way works fine.
I prefer the quarter sheet pan lined with foil because the small pan helps manage / maintain the pan juices. It helps keep the juices close to the meatloaf yielding a moister meatloaf. When your baking tray is too large, the juices run thin across the entire pan and can even burn.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND taking a few minutes to make the homemade fresh breadcrumbs. These light airy crumbs are what makes the meat so tender, light and juicy. Dry breadcrumbs will work but might yield a denser meatloaf.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can but I advise against it. Fattier ground beef blends like 80/20 or 85/15 will yield a juicer meatloaf. That’s why I like using a combination of 80/20 and 93/7. Using lean ground meat only can cause the meatloaf to become grainy and dry.
Yes, but use ¾ cup instead of 1+1/4 cup. Italian breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs will work fine.
Yes! You can use a loaf pan but be sure to line it with parchment paper so you can easily lift the meatloaf from the pan. Also, cooking time might vary in a loaf pan because there is less warm air circulating around the meat. Instead, the meat steams in its own juices, which yields a less crispy exterior.
Yes, you can rinse the mushrooms under cold water to remove excess dirt. Pat them dry with a paper towel to absorb as much moisture as possible. Excess moisture will prevent the mushrooms from browning in the pan. Only clean them right before you’re ready to use them.
Recommended Sides for this Meatloaf
If you tried this Marry Me Meatloaf Recipe with Mushroom Gravy or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Marry Me Meatloaf Recipe with Mushroom Gravy
Equipment
- 1 nonstick saute pan saute onions
- 1 mini food processor breadcrumbs
- 1 8×4 loaf pan shaping mold
- 1 quarter sheet pan lined with foil
- 1 saute pan gravy
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 lb. ground beef, 80/20
- 1 lb. ground beef, 93/7
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup 2% milk
- 1 cup yellow onion, finely diced – sautéed and cooled
- 1+¼ cup fresh breadcrumbs, lightly packed
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Mushroom Gravy
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 16 ounces mushrooms, rinsed, well dried and sliced
- 2 sprigs thyme, fresh
- 2.5 tablespoons cornstarch, + 1 tablespoon water to form slurry
- 3 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- kosher salt, to taste
- few turns cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
How to Make Marry Me Meatloaf Recipe with Mushroom Gravy
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a quarter sheet pan with foil and lightly spray it with avocado oil spray. Make sure to cover the sides of the pan in foil. This will help lock in the juices as the meatloaf cooks.
Sauté the Onions
- Sauté the onions in a dollop of butter. Once the onions are lightly browned and tender, remove them from the heat and allow them to cool completely.
Make the Fresh Breadcrumbs
- Remove the crust for 4-5 slices of day-old white bread. Add the crustless bread to a food processor and buzz until it forms breadcrumbs. They should be light and airy. You’ll need 1+1/4 cup of fresh breadcrumbs.
Combine the Meatloaf
- Mix the ground beef, eggs, milk, fresh breadcrumbs, (cooled) sauteed onions, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder and Italian seasoning.Mix just until combined and form an 8×4 loaf shape. (option to use a loaf pan sprayed with avocado oil spray as a shaping mold)
- Do not overmix the meat as it can become dense when overworked. Also, the shape of the loaf can impact the cook time. You want the loaf to be as even as possible.
Bake
- Place the meatloaf on the quarter sheet pan lined with foil. Bake uncovered for 50-60 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. I cooked mine for 55 minutes exactly.Let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.
Make the Mushroom Gravy
- While the meatloaf is baking, make the gravy. Grab a sauté pan and place it over medium high heat. Add the butter and mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until they are lightly browned.Next, deglaze the pan with beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Add the fresh thyme. Bring the broth to a light boil and slowly add the cornstarch slurry. Gently stir until the gravy begins to thicken. Season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium/low and let the gravy simmer.
- If the gravy gets too thick add more beef broth. If it is not thick enough, add a touch more cornstarch slurry, but be careful as a little goes a long way. The longer the gravy simmers the more it will reduce and thicken.
Assemble
- Once the meatloaf has cooled, slice it into 1-2-inch-thick pieces. Add it to a plate with creamy mashed potatoes and top everything with the mushroom gravy. Serve and enjoy.
7 Comments on “Marry Me Meatloaf Recipe with Mushroom Gravy”
BEST meatloaf ever!
Hi Sarah.
I have never been one that has been able to make a loaf of meatloaf that would taste good. I have tried bacon wrapped and unwrapped.
I made some alterations to yours:
1) I only used 1# of 85/15 grass-fed
2) I added a little heavy creak to the mushroom sauce
The meatloaf by itself did not have lots of flavor, so maybe my half measurements were not accurate.
However, when paired with the sauce, OMG, it was delicious.
I have enough for tomorrow lunch and dinner, maybe even breakfast.
This is the first time that I can say “I liked it”.
Thanks
So glad you enjoyed it, Max!
Made this for dinner tonight! So so good! Both boys in my house gave it a 👍🏻( didn’t make the gravy because they are ketchup on meat loaf guys😉) will definitely make again! Looking forward to sandwiches tomorrow!
Another 5/5!
SO glad you enjoyed it! I love the ketchup too!
We had this for dinner tonight because I had a pack of mushrooms I needed to use up. Man am I so glad I found this recipe! This was such a delicious and comforting meal. We will be eating this all fall and winter for sure.
Yay! I am so glad you enjoyed!