You Can't Make Meatloaf Without Ketchup, And You Probably Wonder Why

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This dish wears its heart on its sleeve like no other. Unstoppable, sure, and iconic, meatloaf has been ripped apart and put back together many times over, all the way from Ancient Rome to America's comfort food classic. One part leftover management, one part cultural collage, and 100% soothing, meatloaf somehow remains the same no matter how you slice it — and one important constant here is ketchup. In the meat, on the top, sometimes on the side, its tangy sweetness seems like a strange match for a dish made of ground beef, eggs, and a starchy binder. But this meaty-ketchup combo has endured for generations.

In 17th-century America, German colonists settled near Pennsylvania and came up with a tasty loaf made from pork scraps and cornmeal, with ties to blood pudding. If you've never eaten scrapple, put it on the list of unique American — or more specifically, Pensylvanian foods you need to try. Meatloaf, like scrapple, stretched inexpensive cuts of meat and pantry staples into a filling, family-friendly meal. Ketchup, mass-produced by companies in the late 19th century, offered a cheap and shelf-stable way to add both moisture and flavor to meatloaf recipes. By the 1950s, those ketchup-laden meatloaf recipes made appearances in almost every American cookbook. Its tomato-forward profile balances the richness of the beefy meatloaf, and the sugar gives the browned top crust a bit of gloss and sticky appeal. A convenient ingredient in a cheap meal? Yes, but with staying power. That's because ketchup – whichever brand you favor, continues to inspire new takes on the classic meatloaf recipe.

While the ketchup glaze was and still is a visual cue of meatloaf's doneness, it really shines at adding a pop of color to what would otherwise be a brown-on-brown meal. So it was only a matter of time before cooks began experimenting with the ketchup part. Barbecue sauce, with its smoky depth and similar sweet-acidic balance, became an early offshoot, and is referred to fondly as Southern meatloaf. It's still built on a ketchup base, but layered with spices, brown sugar, vinegar, and hints of smokiness. For a real twist, try using a mustard-based South Carolina barbecue sauce called Carolina Gold. Maurice's Southern Gold (available online) has been a local favorite brand since the 1950s. 

But don't fret if you're craving the original ketchup version. We've figured out ways to elevate classic meatloaf, too. With that in mind, make your own stylized homemade ketchup with whatever you like. You can never go wrong with canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce — especially if you like things spicy and smoky. Horseradish is another way to add some zing to your meatloaf glaze in a simple but effective way. And easy bacon jam mixed into ketchup will hook anyone who is a fan of beef and pork. Or just chuck it all and don't involve ketchup at all. Gochujang provides its own main-character energy in this sweet and spicy coconut-glazed meatloaf recipe while still providing those two ketchup-inspired meatloaf essentials: moisture and flavor.