Planning for a relishing family dinner this Friday? Let’s plan with something more fulfilling like meatloaf. Now with the main course meatloaf itself, you will find hundreds of options in terms of recipe. No need to start panicking right away! If you are a new cook, you can start with something simple. When you are confused about which meatloaf recipe to pick, our recommendation would be to always choose the classic meatloaf recipe. You can check out the classic meatloaf recipe from here.
If you want something special for the weekend, you might want to experiment with grilled meatloaf or parmesan meatloaf. When you have guests coming over, we understand that cooking red meat can be a problem because there are many people who avoid that. For those who face difficulty having red meat, you can try the chicken meatloaf from here. Now that you are settled with the meatloaf recipe, let’s help you out with some of the best dishes you can serve as sides, desserts and drinks.
As Side dishes
Serving meatloaf without side dishes is a complete turndown. Side dishes for meatloaf dinner are something everyone craves for. When you are planning for a grand dinner, we suggest you go all grand and include multiple side dishes on the menu. Without further to do, let’s look at some of our favorite recipes for you.
Mashed potatoes
Have you ever heard meatloaf served without mashed potatoes? Of course not! Mashed potatoes are the most basic dish that you must serve with meatloaf. We know too much intake of carbohydrate might be an unsuitable choice. However, you can always go for simple mashed potato recipes. But no matter what diet you and your family are; meatloaf without mashed potatoes seem a bit incomplete. Take in fewer amounts if you are on a diet. A little carbohydrate is actually good for your health. This is a mashed potato recipe that we really liked.
For special occasions, we would suggest not to serve bland mashed potatoes only. Spice it up with some cheese and cream to provide a more dense texture. A pro tip from us, always add pinch of pepper to your mashed potato to add special flavor.
Carrots and papayas
When your meatloaf is more gravy, you would need something crunchy to fulfill the taste. Carrots chopped into long pieces are the perfect combination you can get for gravy meatloaf. You can also cut them in circles and use them as dressing. Carrot long pieces paired up with some sautéed papaya are our absolute favorite with meatloaf. This is a very simple side dish and literally anyone can prepare it! As simple as it sounds, the taste you get with meatloaf is completely worthwhile. Although for a proper dinner, only serving carrots and papayas as sides dishes is not enough; you should add dips and desserts as well if you are using only carrots and papayas as side dishes.
Spinach gravy
When we brainstormed for some meatloaf dinner ideas, spinach gravy is something that popped out of the blue in the discussion. We were skeptic about the taste but when we actually paired it with meatloaf, the exclusive taste surprised us all. If healthy choices are your priority, we would definitely recommend giving this a try. With the spinach gravy recipe, our suggestion would be to stick to specific measurements only. We usually encourage getting creative with recipes. But for this one we would ask you to play safe. You can try this gravy spinach recipe to start with.
Sautéed button mushrooms
We are a bit biased when it comes to button mushrooms. We honestly feel sautéed mushrooms go well with almost everything. A pro tip; always keep a can of fresh button mushrooms in the fridge! You will thank us later for this blessing. Jokes apart; we can guarantee that with any type of meatloaf you serve, sautéed button mushrooms taste delightful as the side dish. We would suggest to make the sautéed mushroom less gravy since meatloaf itself is already quite a heavy meal. This sautéed mushroom recipe is our go to personal favorite to serve with heavy dishes.
Garlic bread with cheese and anchovies
You can use garlic bread both as an appetizer or a side dish for the menu with meatloaf. The preparation is pretty basic here and you don’t have to go any extra with this. First of all, add up your favorite cheese on the top of garlic bread and spread with some anchovies to add the flavor. You would totally love it! If you feel that this is too heavy to serve with meatloaf, you can skip the cheese and simply serve garlic bread. In that case, add bits of jalapenos or anchovies to add flavor. If you want to prepare garlic bread from the scratch, this garlic bread with cheese recipe you could try.
As part of the complete meal
For a fulfilling meal, side dishes might not work for everyone. Specifically if this is a grand dinner plan, you can try rice or more carbohydrate in the overall diet. Our take here would be to serve them occasionally only since too much food at a time might be an unhealthy option for you. However, once a month you deserve to relish in a food full evening. So, here are few recipes that you can try.
Quintessential Fried rice
Although meatloaf is a gravy meal usually, you would be delighted to taste them with a small plate full of classic American fried rice. The flavor of American fried rice perfectly blends with the rightly cooked meatloaf. We honestly feel it’s a match made in heaven. You would see cooks not recommending this combination much. Why so? This is not that healthy option to go. But we would say eating in small amounts won’t hurt. We love this homemade fried rice recipe. You can give it a try during special occasions.
Indian rice
If you are serving grilled meatloaf or a meatloaf stuffed with more gravy, Indian rice will actually fit quite well with that. This combination is suited more for Asian palate. This taste doesn’t go much with the European palate though. But as long as it is tasty, we feel that it is sometimes good to experiment with different styles of cuisine. For the main course, you can use this Indian rice recipe. However, if you have a time constraint we would say not to pick an unknown delicacy for the menu.
Korean steam rice
With parmesan meatloaf, Korean steam rice goes quite well actually. A pouched egg on the top will not be a bad touch at all. Yes, we are also getting hungry writing this appetizing section for you. We would tell you to go with this option when you are planning for a grand feast at your home or hotel.
Spaghetti
Some spicy spaghetti goes well with meatloaf. Our advice would be not to overdo it. What we mean is no need to go extravagant with the spaghettis. A classic and simple spaghetti recipe will do the work. Basically, a small amount of spaghetti is good enough to serve as the main course with meatloaf.
Mac and cheese
Mac and cheese is more suitable if your guests are mostly kids and tweens. With adults, the combination of meatloaf with mac and cheese might not be the best diet out there. But with kids, you will surely win the hearts with this delightful combination. This baked mac and cheese recipe is one of our favorite when it comes to preparing kids meal.
Healthy options
Yes, it’s hard to stay slim and fit. You have to give up a lot of delicious meals if you want to sustain it. We come bearing good news for our health conscious readers here. A small chunk of meatloaf taken with some of our handpicked healthy recipes will provide you with the healthy style of relishing meal.
Coleslaw
A delicious barbeque meatloaf with some creamy homemade coleslaw is one of our top favorite meals. Try using low fat yogurt in the coleslaw instead of cream and butter. This will instantly be converted into a low calorie meal for you. This is a coleslaw recipe that goes really well with all types of meat dishes. You can choose to use a different recipe as well based on your taste preference.
Sautéed vegetables
This is the option where you can get as creative as possible. Create a mix of your favorite veggies to have as sides with your meatloaf. Sautéed vegetables are something healthy and everyone loves to have them with meatloaf or steak. The best part about this option is that despite cooking other side dishes and main courses, you can still choose to include this on the menu. We found this sautéed vegetable recipe quite versatile. You can use it as a healthy appetizer, side dish or part of the main course with meatloaf.
Tomatoes, basil and green beans
A blend of tomatoes, basil and beans is actually quite a good looking dish. When you have special guests coming over, surprise them with this eye pleasing, appetizing and healthy dish. The preparation is not that difficult as well. This tomato, basil and green beans recipe is quite simple to make and you can garnish it in your own way. In fact, you can use this dish when you are planning potlucks or arranging barbeques at home.
As appetizers
Any meal planned efficiently can be converted to a three course meal. Now you would think that meatloaf is itself a heavy meal and you might not require appetizers for the party. Well, you are wrong. People always look for some small bites with the main course. This does not hold only to parties; simply for a good dinner or lunch, we would recommend having some appetizers on the table. Of course, the quantity needs to be less compared to other appetizers.
Cream of mushroom soup
Cream of mushroom soup is a delightful appetizer to have before meatloaf. This is healthy and delicious and you will not lose your appetite after having them. We found this soup the most preferable to be served with meatloaf as it falls under the light meal category. You would love this simple and easy cream of mushroom soup recipe as appetizer.
Wonton
Wontons taste quite good and become a relishing appetizer before meatloaf. Some people prefer to have cheese or chili wontons as well. We do not want you to get overboard with the wonton idea. Our take is to keep it simple and create very small bites of wonton. We prefer to call them mini wontons. You can try this wonton recipe with meatloaf. But if you are looking for healthier options, you can use vegetable fillings instead of meat.
Potato wedges
And the most simple appetizer award goes to potato wedges! It is delicious and goes perfectly with meatloaf. Now we know potato wedges can be a bit addictive and we tend to have one bite after the other. Please don’t do that! First of all, it is unhealthy to intake too much of carbohydrate at a time. Secondly, you will start feeling full and won’t be able to enjoy the meatloaf at all. Our tip would be to prepare small amounts only to save you from the trouble. And not to choose this recipe if you are too fond of potato wedges.
Dips to choose
For meatloaf particularly, the dips should be more liquid and less pulpy. This is done so that you can simply drench the meat into some of delicious dips. With more gravy meatloaf, dips are not that necessary. But with less gravy ones, dips work great. We have incorporated some of our favorite dip options we use with meatloaf.
Mushroom sauce
Dilute mushroom sauce taste so good with meatloaf and steak. Of course, using the right recipe here is important. We love it when we simply pour the entire sauce of meatloaf. Don’t get us started on how wonderful it tastes. You can also go for concentrated mushroom sauces but that can be used for dipping small chunks of meatloaf only.
Garlic and onion sauce
Garlic and onion sauce is a cheat code you can always use when you cannot think of any other dips. They go well with everything! Starting from meat to tacos, this dip works perfectly with every palate. A tip from us, always prepare a handful of this tomato, garlic and onion sauce recipe to save your time during dinners. This sauce or dip will work with meat, tacos, nachos, chips and other snacks as well.
Mayo mixed with pepper
If you think you have time constraint for preparing the dip. How about you don’t prepare the dip at all and get a bit creative? Well, simply buy mayonnaise and mix some chili flex with it; the combination is absolutely delightful. You can add a pinch of lemon to give more flavors but normal mayo works fine too.
What’s for dessert?
Any gathering or party we attend, this is the first questions that pops to our mind, what’s for dessert? When planning for a good party, sweet treats are a must. We would recommend preparing small bites with meatloaf. Mudcake or heavy chocolate cake is something you should avoid with meatloaf. It becomes too much.
Lemon cake
Lemon cake is one of our favorite desserts after a heavy meal. It feels light to the palate and you finally get the vibe that your meal is complete. You know what we love the most about a lemon cake? The zesty and tangy frosting! It is so flavorful and refreshing that we simply cannot resist it. This lemon cake recipe is one of our favorites and we would highly recommend trying it out.
Cherry apple pie
After a fulfilling meal of meatloaf, calls for something fruity and delicious. A lovely cherry apple pie is the perfect finishing to a wonderful dinner. We honestly love this cherry apple pie recipe but the problem is it is bit high on sugar. If you are looking for something with less sugar, you can simply substitute castor sugar with brown sugar or use honey.
Simple chocolate tart
Yes, we get happy too when we talk about chocolate tart. Chocolate tart is a great comfort food for everyone to be honest! Be it kids or adults, nobody can say no to chocolate. The mix of crunchiness with chocolate filling is what one looks for in a fantastic dessert. We know we mentioned that meatloaf is kind of a heavy meal and not to include much chocolate items on the menu but we simply cannot resist a chocolate tart! A small treat is not a bad option at all! You can try this chocolate tart recipe. But we would suggest cutting them in smaller pieces since too much can be overwhelming with meatloaf.
The choice for drinks
You would think wine is perfect for the menu with meatloaf. How about we try something interesting here? You would be glad to know for fine dining or not so fine dining, an expensive bottle of wine is not mandatory. Let’s talk about some great choices for drinks to serve with meatloaf.
Your favorite beer
You would be surprised to know that beer can seem quite refreshing after a relishing meal with meatloaf. Simply open the keg of beer and enjoy with your friends.
Ferrero rocher frappe
This is quite a versatile item that we came up with and we are honestly very proud about it. Ferrero rocher is one of the most delicious chocolates out there, no doubt! A frappe this flavored is an absolute delight with meatloaf. In fact, you can skip the desserts if you are preparing this with meatloaf. It works both as dessert and drink. Specifically for lunch or breakfast, we think this drink should be served with meatloaf instead of alcoholic beverages. As a beginner, you can try this simple ferrero rocher frappe recipe.
Gin and tonic
During summer time, gin and tonic works great with meatloaf. You will feel refreshed instantly and you won’t feel lazy after the heavy meatloaf you have just had. We find it a pretty amazing combination from our perspective.
