Dutch Oven Meatloaf
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This hearty and delicious Dutch Oven Meatloaf will be a family favorite! Meatloaf is quick to put together and can be made up ahead of time and then pop in the oven when you get home!
What You Will ❤️ About Dutch Oven Meatloaf
- Super Simple! Meatloaf is really easy – throw it all in a bowl and pop it in the pan!
- Leftovers! I think the leftovers are better than the first meal! Put on a thick sourdough bread and add some cheese – yum!
- Comfort Food! Meatloaf is a traditional comfort food and is perfect for a cold night!
Dutch Oven Meatloaf Ingredients
Quite a few ingredients go into this classic dish – but most are pantry staples! Here’s what you’ll need:
- Meat – I used a combo of Ground Beef, Pork Sausage and Italian Sausage
- Veggies – bell pepper and sweet onion
- Binder – Every meatloaf needs binders to hold it all together. Here I used breadcrumbs, old fashioned oats & eggs
- Herbs & Spices – Dried parsley, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, BBQ seasoning
- You could swap these out with an envelope of onion soup mix!
- Sauces – Worcestershire Sauce & BBQ Sauce
How do you cook Meatloaf in a Dutch Oven?
The Dutch Oven retains heat and keeps the moisture in. This will help keep your meatloaf juicy instead of dried out! Here’s what you do:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Place ground beef, pork sausage, Italian sausage, diced onion and green pepper to a large bowl. Mix with your hands – get in there!
- Add bbq sauce, eggs, oats, bread crumbs, Worcestershire and seasonings to the bowl.
- In the bowl combine all ingredients and dig in with your hands and mix together and set aside.
- Cut a sheet of parchment into the shape of your Dutch oven (double layer if you can) and lay in bottom of pan
- This is essential so you can remove the meatloaf easily and place on a dish or cutting board to slice. You could also line with foil but parchment is more non-stick.
- Shape meat mixture into round loaf approx 6-8” across and set in the Dutch oven on top of the parchment paper
- Sprinkle top of meatloaf with BBQ seasoning
- Place Dutch oven in oven covered with lid for 60 min of baking time
- Baste the outside of the meat loaf with your favorite bbq sauce.
- Place DO back in oven uncovered for 15 minutes more or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
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Tips, Tricks & FAQs
Can I use just ground beef?
Sure – you can use what you like. I recommend a combination because the pork and sausage adds a bit more fat and seasoning.
How Can I Tell If My Meatloaf Is Done?
Take it easy on yourself – use an instant-read meat thermometer. Test it after 1 hour by placing the thermometer into the center of the meatloaf (not to the bottom). Meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160º.
Can I use a cast iron skillet instead of a Dutch oven?
Yes but since it may not have a lid you’ll need to cover with foil
How do you store and reheat leftover meatloaf?
Store leftovers in an airtight container (I like these glass ones) in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can freeze up to three months. Reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Egg Alternative – if you are allergic to eggs, swap the eggs with bread/milk. Soak 2 torn slices of white bread in 1/4 cup of milk for a few minutes and then add to the meat mixture.
- Glaze – I used BBQ sauce topping because I love the flavor of my favorite sauce – but you can make your own with glaze ingredients like ketchup, mustard and brown sugar!
- Bacon – lay bacon strips on top of the meatloaf before you bake!
- Add Veggies – you could add carrots and potatoes to the oven with the meatloaf
Vegetables to serve with Meatloaf
- Scalloped Potatoes for Two
- Cheddar’s Broccoli Cheese Casserole
- Air Fryer Acorn Squash
- Smoked Green Beans with Bacon
More Dutch Oven Recipes
More Meatloaf Recipes
Dutch Oven Meatloaf
This hearty and delicious Dutch Oven Meatloaf will be a family favorite! Meatloaf is quick to put together and can be made up ahead of time and then pop in the oven when you get home!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb ground beef
- 1 lb pork sausage
- .5 lb Italian sausage
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1/2 bell pepper diced
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup Williamson Bros. BBQ sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3 tbsp Historic BBQ Red seasoning
- 3 tbsp Williamson Bros. BBQ sauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
- Place ground beef, pork sausage, Italian sausage, diced onion and green pepper to a large bowl. Mix with your hands – get in there!1.5 lb ground beef, 1 lb pork sausage, .5 lb Italian sausage, 1/2 onion, 1/2 bell pepper
- Add bbq sauce, eggs, oats, bread crumbs, Worcestershire, parsley, salt, garlic powder & black pepper to the bowl.1 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup Williamson Bros. BBQ sauce, 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp dried parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper
- In the bowl combine all ingredients and dig in with your hands and mix together and set aside.
- Cut a sheet of parchment into the shape of your Dutch oven (double layer if you can) and lay in bottom of panThis is essential so you can remove the meatloaf easily and place on a dish or cutting board to slice. You could also line with foil but parchment is more non-stick.
- Shape meat mixture into round loaf approx 6-8” across and set in the Dutch oven on top of the parchment paper
- Sprinkle top of meatloaf with BBQ seasoning3 tbsp Historic BBQ Red seasoning
- Place Dutch oven in oven covered with lid for 60 min of baking time
- Baste the outside of the meat loaf with your favorite bbq sauce.3 tbsp Williamson Bros. BBQ sauce
- Place DO back in oven uncovered for 15 minutes more or until the internal temperature is 165 degrees.
Notes
**We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 495kcalCarbohydrates: 19gProtein: 25gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 12gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 131mgSodium: 937mgPotassium: 504mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 415IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 92mgIron: 5mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Everything came out really well, I used some ground bison in it and townhouse crackers instead of breadcrumbs cause that’s all I had. Solid win on the parchment paper, shredded half a carrot up as well and really appreciated the addition to the texture. This was my first time ever making a meatloaf.
Yeah for meatloaf!