Meatloaf with Oats and Applesauce

Jeff the Chef

Easy, everyday Americana with a small twist. I know – it sounds like a big twist, but in fact it is small.

Meatloaf with Oats and Applesauce
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Meatloaf with Oats and Applesauce

Recipe by Make It Like a Man!Course: Dinner
Makes

10

slices
Serves

5-10

people

Ingredients

  • For the meatloaf:

  • 2 lbs. ground beef

  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats

  • 1½ tsp salt

  • 1 tsp pepper

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 2 eggs

  • 3/4 cup applesauce

  • 1/2 large yellow onion, finely chopped

  • For the glaze:

  • 1/4 cup ketchup

  • 1 Tbs brown sugar

  • 1 tsp mustard

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  • Place the beef into a large mixing bowl. In a food processor fitted with the steel blade, finely process the oats, 20 seconds. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic and pulse to combine. Sprinkle the oat mixture evenly over the beef. In a small mixing bowl, use a fork to whisk the eggs into the applesauce. Pour this mixture over the oats. Add the onion, and use your hands to thoroughly mix. Be thorough yet gentle, and don’t over-mix. Transfer the beef mixture to a bread pan, and smooth out the top.
  • Mix all glaze ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and brush evenly over the beef. Bake until its internal temperature reaches 160-165°F, 1 hour.
  • Reheats beautifully in the microwave.

Notes

  • Cinnamon applesauce works just as well as plain. A “less-sugar” or “no-sugar” applesauce would also work. I suspect that shredded fresh (unpeeled) apple work also work.

It’s all-beef, with a couple unusual fillers: old-fashioned oats (which makes this coincidentally gluten-free) and applesauce. Yes, applesauce. The same thing that applesauce can do in a cake – provide flavor and keep things moist – it does in a meatloaf, while giving it just a bit of a refreshingly off-center nudge.

"Meatloaf," from Make It Like a Man!

Social Learning

This isn’t traditional, obviously, but it’s not as far off the beaten path as you might anticipate. The first thing you’ll notice about it is that it has an interesting sweetness, and then you’ll notice right behind that a flavor that complements the beef quite well, but in a mildly unexpected way. That’s the apple, but I doubt that you’d identify it as apple if no one told you that that’s what it is. At the same time, you’ll notice that the texture is remarkably lighter and more tender than the usual meatloaf. Aside from these things, it hits all the traditional meatloaf notes: classic topping, hearty and beefy … I doubt that you’ll notice the onion and garlic unless you really know what you’re doing, but they provide the rest of the typical flavor backdrop that every meatloaf probably wants. So in the end, what you’ve got is a meatloaf with a bit of a pleasant twist.

The Backstory

Groceries are getting so expensive; I’ve been trying to shop more economically. So, I bought a four-pound family-pack of ground beef. At first I thought I’d make burgers out of all of it, but I doubted that my family would go through sixteen quarter-pound burgers (I was wrong; we probably would’ve), so I set aside half of the beef for a meatloaf.

I can’t believe I don’t have a recipe for meatloaf on this blog already. But on the other hand, I think this might be only the second or maybe third meatloaf I’ve ever made. Weird, because I love meatloaf. But perhaps even weirder, I can barely remember the last time I had it, even though I profess to love it.

Adult Lunchbox

I’m not someone who eats a cold meatloaf sandwich, but if that’s your thing, then this is all the more lunchable. I’m willing to rethink my position on that if you happen to have a great recipe for one.

"Meatloaf," from Make It Like a Man!
Meatloaf with Oats and Applesauce

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! unless otherwise credited. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. Thank you, Kesor. References: Bon Appétit, The Bossy Kitchen, The Spruce Eats. Make It Like a Man! is ranked by Feedspot as #15 in the Top 30 Men’s Cooking Blogs.

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34 thoughts on “Meatloaf with Oats and Applesauce”

  1. My mother used to put applesauce into her meatloaf, but never oatmeal. I imagine it gives the meatloaf a really nice texture. We used to eat cold meatloaf sandwiches when I was a kid, but I somehow cannot imagine it these days. Now, leftover ,eat loaf in gravy? Absolutely! I will plan to make this sometime this winter. Still hitting 100° almost every day.

    Reply

  3. Unfortunately, I have not been a huge meatloaf fan, mainly because of my childhood. The Hungarians put a few peeled hard-boiled eggs in the centre of the raw loaf and cook it through. As you can well imagine, the eggs become super rubbery and totally unappealing. Plus, they don’t put a gorgeous sauce on it either (sweet ketchup would have definitely been a kid-favourite, for sure!). One of these days I’ll give it a go.
    We’re feeling the pinch of the ever-rising cost of groceries; I do hope they will be more manageable in Arizona while we are there.

    Reply

  7. Very interesting. I like all the ingredients and can picture it all going together. I may have to give it a go because my husband absolutely loves meatloaf. I’m not a huge fan because I grew up with it being a weekly menu item. It was always good, but I just got kind of tired of it. I think you gave it a new life with these new additions.

    Reply

  8. I’ve heard about oats in meatloaf, but apple sauce is a new twist for me. I do love meatloaf, but like you we rarely make it here. I need to fix that problem! Apples are an interesting thing. Laura tosses half an apple into sauerkraut when she’s heating/doctoring the store-bought version. It doesn’t add an apple flavor, but it softens the flavor a bit. I suspect the apple sauce is doing the same here.

    Reply

    • Yes,I agree. A bit of sweetness, but not an apple flavor. Love Laura’s sauerkraut idea!

      Reply

  9. Jeff, I love a good meatloaf, and I would have never thoughts oats or applesauce but when you explain it, totally worth the effort. This is really a creative way with meatloaf. I like it!

    Velva

    Reply

  10. I have never used applesauce in meatloaf, but I do love a sweet meatloaf over a more savory one. I tend to use brown sugar to give it a hit of sweet, but I think I’ll try applesauce next time.

    Reply

  13. Jeff this is definitely a new twist on the meatloaf we make over this way and a twist that makes perfect sense. I’ll be cooking this up in the coming days as we’re also trying to reduce our food costs.
    Like David, I’ve memories of cold meatloaf sandwiches with Miricle Whip, but not going in my tummy again. But, a hot slice of meatloaf on bread covered in brown gravy would be impossible for me to resist.
    I think this might work for making a lower-fat, all-beef Swedish meatball. I’ll give it a try.

    Reply

    • Interesting! The texture of the beef is all wrong cold, and the fat is even worse. But my grandparents used to love cold meatloaf sandwiches. Reheated leftover, though, I thought it really hit the spot. I bet it’d make interesting meatballs!

      Reply

  14. Le tue variazioni al classico polpettone mi piacciono molto. Interessante l’aggiunta della salsa di mele. Complimenti 🙂

    Reply

  15. I’ve used applesauce in cakes before but never meatloaf. Brilliant idea!! I’m sure it is moist and delicious.

    Reply

  16. oh yes a cold meatloaf sandwich sounds good to me 🙂 Mum used to make meatloaf with a can of tomato soup thrown on top. It wasn’t too bad…

    Reply

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