Cape Cod Cranberry Meatloaf

Meatloaf might not be the prettiest dish you’ll ever make, but sometimes the uglier ones are actually the best. Cape Cod Cranberry Meatloaf is one of those recipes!

Cape Cod Cranberry Meatloaf

It’s definitely not pretty (and I totally bow down to anyone who has the ability to make gorgeous meatloaf), but it sure is good. The meat itself is tender, and the sweetened cranberry sauce lends a slight sweet flavor to the dish and it’s easy to put together. A dinner-repeat in our house for sure.

🛒Ingredients needed:

• cranberry sauce
• dark brown sugar
• ground beef
• milk
• onion
• ketchup
• breadcrumbs
• eggs
• fresh rosemary and thyme
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• bay leaves

✏️How to make Cape Cod Cranberry Meatloaf:

*The complete, printable recipe with all ingredients and instructions is at the end of this post.

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine the cranberry sauce and brown sugar. Place the cranberry sauce mixture in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.
3. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (except bay leaves and thyme sprig) and mix well. Set the meat loaf mixture in the pan on top of the sauce.
4. Top the loaf with bay leaves and thyme sprig and bake 1½ hours or until cooked through. **Place a rimmed pan on the rack under the loaf to catch any excess drippings. (Line that pan with foil if you want easy clean up!)
5. Allow the loaf to cool for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig. Very carefully use a spatula to scoop underneath the meatloaf and move it to a serving plate. Drizzle some of the pan juices over the loaf.

➡️Recipe Tips:

• If you’d like to use a leaner ground beef, you certainly can, but the meatloaf will turn out a little drier.
• You could also try using a combination of lean ground beef and ground pork.
• If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use brands of cranberry sauce and ketchup that are known to be GF, and use GF breadcrumbs in place of regular breadcrumbs.

✔️What to serve with Cape Cod Cranberry Meatloaf:

• I like to serve it with my favorite scalloped potatoes.
• I think this meatloaf would be perfect with roasted Brussels sprouts on the side.
• Since the meatloaf has some of the flavors of Thanksgiving in it, you could even try serving it with a great stuffing.

★How to Store:

Leftovers can easily be stored in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days or in the freerzer for up to 3 months.

❤️Why I love this recipe:

1. My family loves this meatloaf, so no complaints at dinner!
2. I love that the meat itself is tender, the sweetened cranberry sauce lends a slight sweet flavor and all of that keeps my tastebuds happy.  
3. Leftovers in a sandwich the next day? Maybe with a bit of extra cranberry sauce? Amazing!

Favorite Meatloaf Recipes:

• Roasted Vegetable Meatloaf
• Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf
• Turkey- Pesto Meatloaf with Tomato Sauce 
• Mini Meatloaves
• Slow Cooker Chicken Parmigiana Meatloaf

4.34 from 3 votes

Cape Cod Cranberry Meatloaf

By RecipeGirl.com

This comforting meatloaf is baked in a cranberry sauce and served with pan sauce drizzled over the top.

Prep: 25 minutes mins

Cook: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Servings: 8 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup whole cranberry sauce
• ▢ ¼ cup packed dark brown sugar
• ▢ 2½ pounds ground beef (I used 85% lean)
• ▢ ½ cup milk
• ▢ 1 small (about ¾ cup) onion, finely chopped
• ▢ ¼ cup ketchup
• ▢ ½ cup plain breadcrumbs
• ▢ 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• ▢ 3 to 4 whole bay leaves

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
• In a small bowl, combine the cranberry sauce and brown sugar. Place the cranberry sauce mixture in the bottom of the prepared loaf pan.
• In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients (except bay leaves and thyme sprig) and mix well. Set the meat loaf mixture in the pan on top of the sauce.
• Top the loaf with bay leaves and thyme sprig and bake 1½ hours or until cooked through. **Place a rimmed pan on the rack under the loaf to catch any excess drippings. (Line that pan with foil if you want easy clean up!)
• Allow the loaf to cool for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig. Very carefully use a spatula to scoop underneath the meatloaf and move it to a serving plate. Drizzle some of the pan juices over the loaf.

Notes

• If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use brands of cranberry sauce and ketchup that are known to be GF, and use GF breadcrumbs in place of regular breadcrumbs.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 428kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 10g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 145mg, Sodium: 529mg, Potassium: 533mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 174IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 4mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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