Easy Dairy Free Meatloaf is a simple and quick 5-ingredient recipe made without milk or butter. Mix in one bowl, place in baking pan, bake and that’s it! Great on a plate with sides or in a sandwich.
I remember always hearing kids in shows saying: “Ugh. Meatloaf again??” However, what kid doesn’t like hamburgers and meatloaf done well like in this Easy Dairy Free Meatloaf is just as good and just as quick.
Add some sides to a couple of slices as shown in the picture or place some in between some fresh bread and yum!
Don’t like ground meat? Substitute ground chicken, ground turkey, or whatever you like!
Love ground beef? Try these other simple recipes:
- Really Easy Beef Pot Pie
- Really Easy Mini Beef Pot Pies
- Really Easy Shepherd’s Pie
- Easy Stuffed Cabbage
- Very Easy Stuffed Peppers
A little of my cooking background
I really wanted to title this blog “If I can make it, anyone can”, because – honestly – if I can make it, anyone can.
I never really liked cooking and when I was single, a meal for me meant grilled cheese, eggs, tuna, or something else that didn’t require effort or time.
When my kids were young, I was still able to get away with preparing only a small variety of easy meals, but the older they got, the more dishes I learned to make at their request.
Still, I insisted on keeping it simple.
Honestly, I never understood why some cooks unnecessarily complicate meals. I have seen recipes that have several ingredients that don’t really seem to add much, if anything, to the dish. So, why bother?
It has always been important to me that whoever eats at my table will have plenty to enjoy and that includes my kids (I never agreed with the “You will eat what is served or you won’t eat” ideology) and, because I keep it simple, I can prepare a variety of dishes in a relatively short period of time.
I have a philosophy regarding being a great cook: Prepare food according to the tastes of those who will be eating it and they will love your cooking!
As far as I am concerned, start with the basic ingredients that make the dish what it is, adapt according to taste, and voila! you are an amazing cook!
The bottom line is that while there are certainly delicate recipes out there for specialty dishes, making delicious meals doesn’t have to be complicated or time consuming. It’s not difficult to impress – just make sure it tastes good.
While some of the recipes on my blog are more time-consuming than others, they are all tried and true easy-shmeezy!
Of course, one always has to consider the conditions under which they cook. Weather (humidity, heat, cold), different types of ovens, different quality of pots, etc. – all of which can affect your cooking and baking.
Nevertheless, as I said, if I can do it, anyone can!
Besides being kitchen-challenged, Passover brings with it a whole new set of challenges. This meatloaf recipe is so simple to make and tastes great (you can’t even tell it’s for Passover!).
I always keep ground meat in my freezer (or fridge if I know I will be using it sometime within the next several days) and eggs, onion soup mix, and mazta meal are part of the cooking essentials I like to have on hand, both for Passover and during the year. So, with a side mashed potatoes and a vegetable, I am ready for dinner within an hour.
Everyday pantry essentials (suggested)
As I learned to prepare more and more recipes, I also learned which basics and seasonings are good to have on hand to have the ability to make a dish on short notice and not have to run out to the store or borrow from a neighbor.
While I will admit that I am not always prepared when one of my kids will ask for eggplant parmesan or lasagna at the drop of a hat (which they have done), I dislike having to postpone making something just because the ingredients needed to make a reasonable meal were not readily available.
So, I maintain selection of what I consider “pantry essentials” in my refrigerator and on my shelves at all times.
Initially, many of the herbs and spices were useful to me only on occasion (having been purchased for a particular recipe) and I usually just had them around as leftovers. However, as I began to cook more of a variety, I was really glad to have them (hey, look, I already have that !) and that is how my list began.
While, of course, most of the essentials will not be needed just for any one recipe, at least some of them are needed for most recipes, and you would be surprised how many recipes be made just with this list. So, if you keep whatever you use regularly on hand, it can really save you time and effort.
Everyone has their favorite recipes, preferred seasoning, and just whatever they like to use to cook. Your own list should certainly reflect your own cooking tastes and style.
Just to give you an idea, the list below is a comprehensive list of what I normally keep on hand (this does not necessarily include what I keep for baking and there may be some overlap between the two lists as some items are used for both, such a brown sugar) and, of course, it reflects the meals and desserts that I like to make for my own family and guests.
Seasoning and flavoring:
- salt (my receipes use regular table salt)
- ground black or white pepper
- granulated garlic or garlic powder (I prefer granulated)
- onion powder
- sweet paprika and/or sweet pepper flakes (paprika is ground dried red pepper, pepper flakes are crushed dried red pepper)
- hot paprika, hot pepper flakes, or cayenne pepper (moderately spicy dried ground chili pepper) for those occasional spicy dishes
- ground turmeric
- ground cumin
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- ground nutmeg
- ground Cloves (for pumpkin flavors)
- sugar (granulated)
- brown sugar
- chicken consomme powder / beef bullion powder (regular or vegetarian)
- onion soup mix
- onion flakes (substitute for fresh onion – 3 tablespoons for 1 medium onion).
- various herbs
- additional spices to adapt taste to preference
Misc:
- oil / margarine / butter / cooking spray
- coconut cream as a dairy free cream substitute
- corn starch as a thickening agent
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- bread crumbs or Corn Flake crumbs (you can make these with your blender or food processor) for coating
- condiments – such as ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce
- tomato sauce/tomato paste/canned tomatoes – diced or crushed/pasta sauce
- soy sauce
- ready made pie crusts and dough (to just add filling)
We always have eggs in the fridge and onions, rice, and potatoes on our shelves as well as pasta.
In addition, having some fresh vegetables in the fridge, such as carrots, celery, tomatoes, bell peppers (red, green, etc), etc. can be very useful when putting together a quick, but delicious meal.
It is also a good idea to have some ground meat or chicken (breast, ground, or in parts), in the freezer for anyone who likes meat dishes in a snap.
Weather can have an affect on some of the spices and on the chicken consommé powder, so I keep as many of the seasonings in the refrigerator or freezer as I can and I keep everything tightly closed in containers (you will be surprised to know just how determined moths are at getting into sealed bags and how hot red pepper powder can attract little black bugs – YUCK!).
Therefore, store your items well.
Why are these pantry essentials beneficial to have on hand?
Personally, having the above ingredients in my kitchen is very advantageous, as I make a variety of dishes and use most of the items on the list regularly enough to warrant storing them. However, I do not store items for dishes that I make seasonally or only on rare occasions or those that spoil easily.
Whether or not it is workable for you depends on your cooking style, the space you have to store, and whether or not you mind running out to the store as needed. Of course, the more you cook and the more varied your recipes, the more you will use, and the more you will need.
A little about meatloaf
Meatloaf is an international dish. Each country makes it a little differently and calls it by a different name. In the United States, clearly the name comes from the shape of the meat.
While one could technically make the dish using ground meat and seasoning alone, the egg and bread crumbs add flavor and help the dish hold its shape. In addition, by adding the egg and bread crumbs, the meal stretches a little longer and helps with a budget.
During the Great Depression, meatloaf helped families stretch their budget when they made meatloaf using cheap or left over meat (ground) and added some kind of filler from bread, crackers, or cooked grains.
Although many jokes about “meatloaf again?” and “Meatloaf Monday” have been around for decades, meatloaf is a tasty dish and quick to make. It can be eaten as a main course with sides, with or without gravy, or however one likes it. As a leftover, meatloaf is great (just make sure not to let it dry out when reheating).
While this recipe calls for ketchup spread on the top before cooking, you can pretty much spread whatever you wants on top either before or after cooking. One type of popular sauce includes mixing 1/4 ketchup with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and a tablespoon of some form of vinegar. I just like mine with ketchup.
If you don’t like or don’t eat beef, you can use any type of meat or chicken that is ground up. Fish probably could work too, although I haven’t tried it.
Why are there so many meatloaf recipes?
Like pretty much every other recipe out there, everyone makes dishes according to their own tradition and taste, and meatloaf is no different. I like to keep my recipes as simple to allow anyone who wants to make a quick dish without straying from the basics to do just that and so this Easy Dairy Free Meatloaf is a frequent addition to the courses at my table.
And…guess what! Beef even has some health benefits!
Easy Dairy Free Meatloaf
Easiest meatloaf from scratch, without milk.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground meat
- 2 tablespoons onion soup mix
- 1/4 cup bread or plain cracker crumbs
- 1 egg
- Ketchup or barbecue sauce
Instructions
- Mix ground meat with onion soup mix, 1/4 cup matza meal, and egg in a mixing bowl.
- Place mixture in a greased loaf pan.
- Spread ketchup or barbecue sauce over the top.
- Bake uncovered at 350°F for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through as desired.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 98mgSodium: 557mgCarbohydrates: 7gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 22g