For a modern-day version, swap in whatever meatloaf recipe your family already trusts, then have some fun with the shape. Onions work well for the lacing since they’re already going into the mix anyway, and a heavy coat of ketchup on top does double duty as decoration and sauce. Keep the thickness even across the loaf so it cooks through at the same rate and holds its shape once it’s out of the pan. It’s a simple swap that turns an ordinary weeknight dinner into a table centerpiece without any extra effort.
The classic recipe from the 50s: Football-shaped meatloaf (1955)
High school and college crowds aren’t the only ones sure to get excited over this wonderful-tasting and novel treat. Costs less than $1.75 for six folks (Italian spaghetti sauce included).
Ingredients
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
2 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 cup finely-chopped onions
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup tomato juice
3/4 cup rolled oats or cracker crumbs
Directions
Shape like a football. Place on a shallow baking pan. Arrange pimento strips in lacing fashion. Bake about 1 hour at 350 degrees F. Serve on deepish platter, surrounded by Italian spaghetti sauce. Spoon sauce over each helping of meatloaf.
Note: Lawry’s Spaghetti Sauce Mix was used in sauce recipe — in saucepan, blend 1 pkg with 3 cups tomato juice, 2 tbs salad oil, simmer 1/2 hr (stir occasionally).
ALSO SEE: The famous 1950s 15-minute meatloaf recipe
Our modern-day version of the football meatloaf
The fun of this dish is really all about the shape and decoration, so you can actually make any kind of loaf you like. (If you’re looking for ideas, we have several different retro meatloaf recipes right here!)
For our loaf, I used my family’s usual recipe — two and a half pounds of ground beef, two eggs, a cup and a half of whole oats, two small cans of tomato sauce, various spices, and about 3/4 of an onion.
Rather than making it truly football-shaped in all dimensions, I kept the thickness fairly uniform to try to make sure the whole loaf cooked evenly, and that the catsup didn’t slide off.
Creating the “football”
Of these two classic recipes, one called for the “lacing” to be made from pimentos (so very retro), while the other suggested using spaghetti. Since I was already using onions inside the loaf itself, I thought they might work well as decoration on top.
If you want to use onions as shown here, be sure to cut the decorative parts of the onion first, before you chop up the rest to put in the loaf. I used long, curved slices on either side, and smaller cuts for the lacing.
All prepped and ready to kick things off
Be sure to start with a large pan so your meatloaf has enough room to hold its shape without bumping into the sides.
Normally when I make this for dinner, I usually put only a little catsup on top — but for this football, I decided to run with the theme, and slathered the whole thing with catsup before carefully placing the onions on top.
ALSO SEE: The history of catsup, plus check out these vintage catsup/ketchup brands
The finished football meatloaf
Here’s the same loaf about an hour later, after baking it at 350 F for about 50 minutes, and allowing it to rest for another 10.
Lace it all up
Here’s a close-up of the cooked meatloaf, showing the football’s onion lacing detail from the side.
Touchdown!
Each slice of the finished loaf was perfectly tender, and as a bonus, already had all the catsup necessary — making it even easier for everyone to enjoy!
Football meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds ground beef
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups whole rolled oats
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 3/4 medium onion, divided (some finely chopped for the mix, some sliced for decoration)
- Salt, pepper, and seasonings of choice
- Ketchup, for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large, shallow baking pan with foil or lightly grease it, making sure there's enough room around the edges for the loaf to hold its shape.
- Before chopping the rest of the onion for the meat mixture, slice off a few decorative pieces first. Cut long, curved slices for the sides of the football and smaller strips for the lacing on top. Set these aside.
- Finely chop the remaining onion. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, eggs, oats, tomato sauce, chopped onion, and seasonings. Mix just until combined, being careful not to overwork the meat.
- Turn the mixture out onto the prepared pan and shape it into a football, keeping the thickness as even as possible from end to end so it cooks evenly and holds together.
- Coat the top and sides generously with ketchup. Arrange the reserved onion slices on top: curved pieces along each side and smaller strips down the center to resemble football lacing.
- Bake for about 50 minutes, or until the meatloaf is cooked through.
- Remove from the oven and let the loaf rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This helps it hold its shape and keeps the slices intact.
Notes
Any standard meatloaf recipe can be shaped this way. The lacing and shape are what make it a football meatloaf, so feel free to adjust seasonings to taste. A large enough pan matters more than exact measurements, since a cramped pan can cause the loaf to lose its shape while baking.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 600Total Fat: 29gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 175mgSodium: 295mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 5gSugar: 2gProtein: 47g
Click Americana offers approximate nutrition information as a general reference only, and we make no warranties regarding its accuracy. Please make any necessary calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, and consult with a qualified healthcare professional if you have dietary concerns.
Another version: Football loaf recipe (1967)
Published in the San Bernardino County Sun (California) – September 21, 1967
Ingredients
1 package dehydrated onion soup mix
3 eggs, slightly-beaten
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 cup commercial breadcrumbs
3-1/2 pounds ground round steak
Several pieces cooked spaghetti
Directions
Combine onion soup mix, eggs, sour cream and parsley. Stir in breadcrumbs. Mix thoroughly the meat and breadcrumb mixture. Form into the shape of a football. Cover closely with (oil to hold the shape and bake at 375 degrees for 1-1/2 hours. Remove the foil and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Press pieces of spaghetti on top of loaf to resemble lacing. Place on warm platter and surround with shoestring potatoes.
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