Meatloaf is a dish made by mixing ground meat (usually beef, but sometimes pork or turkey) with other ingredients like eggs, breadcrumbs, and seasonings, then shaping it into a loaf and baking it in the oven. The result looks a bit like a rectangular loaf of bread, but it's made of seasoned meat.

Meatloaf became popular in America during the Great Depression of the 1930s because it stretched expensive meat by mixing it with cheaper ingredients like oats or crackers, feeding more people for less money. Many families developed their own recipes, and some topped their meatloaf with ketchup or tomato sauce before baking. Today, meatloaf remains a classic comfort food, often served with mashed potatoes and vegetables.

The texture is dense and savory, somewhere between a hamburger and a roast. Some kids love meatloaf, especially when it's made with their family's special recipe. Others find it boring or too plain. Like many traditional dishes, meatloaf tastes very different depending on who makes it: some cooks add interesting spices or wrap it in bacon, while others keep it simple and traditional.