with sourdough discard

Growing up, we never ate a lot of meatloaf, but my husband did. So, when we got married and he requested meatloaf I had to start from literal scratch. It’s taken years to come up with this recipe, especially with the addition of sourdough discard. But, I am confident that once you make this meatloaf, it will definitely make it into the family recipe book.

❤️ Why You’ll Love Mom’s Meatloaf

This meatloaf is the most tender, flavorful and moist meatloaf that you can make. I know that everyone makes meatloaf differently, but after making this SO many times and having a successful dinner each time, I know you and your family will also love this recipe. It’s easy to make, easy to double for larger families, and uses sourdough discard instead of eggs… I bet you’ve never seen that before 😉

🍲 Ingredients

Sourdough Discard – Unfed, inactive sourdough starter; used in this recipe as a binder/ egg substitute.

Onion Mixture – This is what makes the meatloaf so tender and flavorful. It’s easy to make, and even my 4-year-old who doesn’t particularly care for onions still loves this meatloaf.

Ground Beef – One pound of grass-fed ground beef.

Worcestershire sauce – Gives an extra layer of beefy flavor. We LOVE Worcestershire sauce in our house.

Ketchup – Sweetness + tomato flavor, perfect for meatloaf recipes.

Breadcrumbs – Plain or seasoned, it’s up to you. I also have a great sourdough breadcrumbs recipe if you want to check that out!

Brown sugar – For the glaze

👩‍🍳 How to Make Moms Meatloaf

Onion Mixture

  • Start by dicing an onion and sauté on the stove over medium heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for additional two minutes.
  • Turn the heat to low and add in tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Mix together until everything is incorporated. Remove the mixture from the heat and add in chicken broth, continuously mixing until the mixture is smooth. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes.

Meatloaf

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add in your ground beef, grated parm, breadcrumbs, and sourdough discard. When your onion mixture has cooled, add it directly into the bowl. Mix with your hands until everything is incorporated.
  • Transfer the meatloaf to a greased 9×5 loaf pan.
  • Brush the top with the meatloaf glaze.
  • Bake at 375 for 40 – 45 minutes.
  • Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a cutting board, slice it up, drizzle with more glaze and serve with your favorite side dishes!

Meatloaf glaze

  • In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce until everything melts together and the brown sugar is no longer grainy.

🪄 Tips and Tricks

  • Make your own sourdough breadcrumbs
  • Mixing meatloaf with your hands is the best way to mix it. This keeps it from becoming dense.


🗒 Substitutions

Sourdough discard is used in this recipe as a binder/ egg substitute. 1/4 cup sourdough discard is a substitute for one egg, so if you double the recipe use 1/2 cup discard for 2 eggs.

  • Sourdough discard – egg
  • Parm cheese – your favorite grated cheese


🗒 Best served with

  • Side of mashed potatoes
  • Marconi salad
  • Corn on the cobb
  • Side of Edemame for extra protein.

👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store your leftover meatloaf in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days.

🤔 Common Questions

Can we make this without the onion mixture?

I think the onion is important for the texture of this meatloaf. But if you have a family member who doesn’t like onions, mix together the chicken broth, seasonings, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, then add to the meatloaf. You may need some extra bread crumbs to make sure everything comes together but this is a good option!

What if my sourdough starter is fed and bubbly?

I’ve used bubbly starter before, and it’s worked just fine! 🙂

meatloaf with sides on a plate
5 from 1 vote

Moms Meatloaf

Print recipe
The most tender, flavorful and moist meatloaf that you'll make. It's filled with a delicious onion mixture and uses sourdough discard as a binder/ egg substitute. The days of dry meatloaf are gone, and once you make this version of meatloaf – it will be sure to make the family recipe book.
Prep Time:20 minutes
Cook Time:45 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 5 minutes

Equipment

Ingredients

Onion Mixture

  • 1 small onion diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 2 TBS tomato paste.
  • 2 TBS Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ cup chicken broth

Meatloaf

  • all of the onion mixture
  • 1 lb ground beef.
  • ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • ½ cup breadcrumbs
  • ¼ cup sourdough discard fed or unfed
  • salt and pepper to taste.

Glaze

  • ½ cup ketchup
  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • 1 TBS Worcestershire sauce

Instructions

Onion Mixture

  • Start by dicing an onion and sauté on the stove over medium heat until translucent (about 5 minutes). Add minced garlic and cook for an additional two minutes.
  • Turn the heat to low and add in the tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, and seasoning. Mix together until everything is incorporated. Remove the mixture from the heat and add in chicken broth, continuously mixing until the mixture is smooth. Let cool for 5 – 10 minutes.

Meatloaf

  • Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add in your ground beef, grated parm, breadcrumbs, and sourdough discard. When your onion mixture has cooled, add it directly into the bowl. Mix with your hands until everything is incorporated.
  • Transfer the meatloaf to a greased 9×5 loaf pan.
  • Brush the top with the meatloaf glaze.
  • Bake at 375 for 40 – 45 minutes.
  • Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer it to a cutting board, slice it up, drizzle with more glaze and serve with your favorite sides!

Meatloaf glaze

  • In a small bowl, mix together the ketchup, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce until everything melts together and the brown sugar is no longer grainy.

Notes

Sourdough discard is used in this recipe as a binder/ egg substitute. 1/4 cup sourdough discard is a substitute for one egg, so if you double the recipe use 1/2 cup discard for 2 eggs. 

Nutrition

Calories: 205kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 814mg | Potassium: 278mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 290IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 185mg | Iron: 2mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Dinner, meatloaf, Sourdough Discard
Servings: 4
Calories: 205kcal

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5 from 1 vote

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4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This meatloaf is AMAZING. My husband is not a fan of meatloaf. I’ve made in once in the 6 years of being married, I made Acts of Sourdough last night and he has requested it to be added to our rotation of meals. SO GOOD. The flavor is phenomenal. He even ate it on Acts of Sourdough artisan loaf as an open face sandwich. WE LOVE ACTS OF SOURDOUGH

  2. Hey Acts of Sourdough, I’m due with my 3rd in October. Can I prep this, put the raw meatloaf in a tin foil pan and freeze to bake during postpartum?