This easy to make, flavourful Meatloaf recipe is perfect for anyone following the Weight Watchers program. Low in points and generous in serving size it's a no brainer for anyone wanting a WW friendly version of this American classic.
A slice of this Meatloaf will be 5 or 6 Points on the Personal Points plan & to find out exactly how many it'll be for you & to track it in the WW App, you can click on the blue button in recipe card below!
If you are still following the old plan, then it works out at 6 SmartPoints per slice on the myWW Green plan and 5 SmartPoints per slice on the myWW Blue & myWW Purple plans.
Whichever plan, this recipe is sure to become a Weight Watchers favourite.
I often get emails from people who have visited Pointed Kitchen when they are looking for WW recipe inspiration.
Occasionally they enquire whether I have a WW friendly recipe for a particular dish that they are missing since starting their WW journey.
Over the last few months, a number of people have asked whether I have a WW friendly Meatloaf recipe.
Perhaps this is because it's such a comfort food and people need comfort at this time of the year!
I hadn't a WW friendly version, so for weeks I have been trying out & adapting different meatloaf recipes, with varying success.
Some have been too dry, some have lacked flavour and some have been too high is SmartPoints for my liking.
After all this meatloaf making & eating, I am now a little tired of it to be honest 😀 but I am sure I will quickly get my taste for it back!
This particular recipe, in my view, is the perfect combination of moistness, flavour, ease and number of Points.
It has a tangy glaze that adds to the flavour (but importantly doesn't increase the Points too much) it is a perfect texture, not too dry but equally not moist or oily and it's very simple to make.
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What breadcrumbs can I use?
For this recipe, I used low calorie sliced white bread to make the breadcrumbs.
I toasted the slices of bread (4 slices that weighed roughly 100g in total) and then I placed the toast in my Ninja Food Processor to make the crumbs.
You could use Panko breadcrumbs instead but you would need to check the nutritional information for the brand that you use first. Most come out between 8 - 10 Points per 100g.
Why grate the onions?
I wanted the flavour of onion in this meatloaf but did not want to be biting down on bits of chopped onion in the cooked loaf!
By grating the onion, the flavour is spread through the meatloaf evenly & to be honest, I also find grating an onion less time consuming than finely chopping it!
Seasoning the Meatloaf
As the meatloaf recipe included Worcestershire sauce and crumbled stock/bouillon cubes, both of which are salty, I did not feel that the recipe needed any further salt added.
However, if you were to use low sodium stock/bouillon cubes you may feel the need to add a little salt to bring out the flavours.
Tips for making this dish?
This meatloaf is just so simple to make but there are a few suggestions to make it perfectly each time.
Place the ground beef, eggs, breadcrumbs, crumbled stock/bouillon cubes, grated onion, minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of ketchup, milk, pepper and chopped parsley (if using) into a bowl (picture 1).
Combine the ingredients using a wooden spoon or even better use your hands to squidge it all together.
Grease a loaf tin using the calorie controlled spray oil, making sure that you get right into the corners of the tin.
Tip the meat mixture into the tin and press it down firmly. Smooth out the top so that there are no cracks or lumps or bumps (picture 3).
The glaze is made by combining the remaining tomato ketchup, vinegar, mustard and sugar (picture 2).
Spread half of the glaze over the top of the meatloaf. The remaining glaze is used as a 'top up' towards the end of the cooking time.
Once cooked, leave the meatloaf to sit for 10 minutes or so to settle before slicing.
Serving suggestions?
For the ultimate comfort dinner, I like to serve this meatloaf with mashed potato and peas or sweetcorn
Alternatively, if you are following any of the plans you could serve this meatloaf with this Mashed Celeriac or this Roasted Butternut Squash Mash for no additional Points.
Can I freeze any leftovers?
Yes, you can freeze leftovers!
Cool the meatloaf completely before portioning it up into freezer safe food storage bags.
I particularly like to use re-useable bags that are dishwasher safe, like these ones available from Amazon.
Defrost in the fridge and reheat till piping hot before serving.
How long will it last in the fridge?
This meatloaf will keep, properly stored, in the fridge for 3 or 4 days.
What is the serving size?
This meatloaf serves 8!
SmartPoints in Meatloaf
If you still follow the old SmartPoints plan:
Using the official WW recipe builder I worked out the SmartPoints for this Meatloaf for each of the plans.
- myWW Green Plan - 6 SmartPoints per serving
- myWW Blue Plan - 5 SmartPoints per serving
- myWW Purple Plan - 5 SmartPoints per serving
- old Freestyle Plan - 5 SmartPoints per serving
Personal Points in this Meatloaf
If you follow the new WW Personal Points plan, a slice of this Mealoaf will be between 5 and 6 Personal Points. To find out how many Personal Points this recipe will be for you, click on the WW Personal Points button in the recipe card below. You can now even track it in the WW App straight from this site!
Best Meatloaf | Weight Watchers
Ingredients
- 35 oz extra lean ground beef / mince (1kg) 5% fat
- 4 slices low calorie bread toasted & made into breadcrumbs *
- 2 medium eggs
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 medium onion grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 beef stock cubes / bouillon cubes crumbled
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup skimmed milk (70ml)
- 6 tablespoons Heinz tomato ketchup - 50% less sugar or no sugar added divided
- 1 handful fresh chopped parsley chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1 - 2 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 5 sprays of calorie controlled spray oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F.
- Use 5 pumps of calorie controlled spray oil to grease a loaf tin (approx 9 inches by 5 inches)
- Place the ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, grated onion, minced garlic, black pepper, crumbled stock cubes/bouillon, milk and 2 tablespoons of the tomato ketchup into a large bowl.
- Mix with a wooden spoon (or your hands if you prefer) to combine all of the ingredients.
- Stir in the chopped parsley if using.
- The mixture will be wet but this leads to a moist, succulent meatloaf that is less inclined to crumble once cooked.
- Place the meat loaf mixture into the pre greased loaf tin and smooth the top.
- Mix the remaining 4 tablespoons of ketchup with the sugar, white wine vinegar and mustard to make a glaze.
- Spread half of the glaze on top of the meatloaf and set aside the rest for later.
- Place the meatloaf on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and cook for 50 minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread over the remaining glaze.
- Place back in the oven for a further 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let the loaf stand for 10 minutes or so before slicing it into 8 generous slices.
Notes
Nutrition
More Weight Watchers Ground Beef recipes
If you are looking for WW friendly recipes that contain ground beef, then take a look at these!
Jan Canning says
I made this meatloaf last night,and it was so tender and juicy. My husband kept commenting on how good it was while we were eating. Thank you for this great recipe.
Marianne says
Jan
Thank you so much for your comments.
I am so pleased that you and your husband enjoyed the meatloaf.
Best of luck with your WW journey.
Marianne x
Gemma says
I love meatloaf, but I’ve never thought to grate the onions! That’s genius!! I can’t get enough of onions, but grating they would be so much better to prevent chunks of onion inside the loaf! Thanks so much for sharing that great tip (and delicious recipe) xo
Marianne says
Hi Gemma
Thank you so much for your message.
Glad you like the recipe 😀
Best of luck with your WW journey.
Kindest regards
Marianne x
Mary E Kipp McGrover says
I followed the recipe exactly. Very flavorful and moist. the serving size was filling. My husband enjoyed it . Will definitely make again
Will says
Hi there! Do you think this could work with almond milk instead of skim milk? I don't really drink dairy products, so I wouldn't want to buy a carton of milk for it to go to waste. 🙂
Marianne says
Hi Will
Yes this recipe works with Almond milk - I've sometimes used it when I haven't any other milk in the house.
I hope you enjoy it and best of luck with your WW journey.
Kindest regards
Marianne
Erica says
Can I substitute something else for the milk entirely?
Marianne says
Hi Erica
Yes you can - you could just use water or you could try a non dairy milk substitute such as almond milk if you prefer.
I hope that helps
Best of luck with your WW journey.
Kindest regards
Marianne
Kristen says
I don’t have bouillon. Can I leave it out or substitute with something else?
Marianne says
Hi Kristen
Unfortunately, the bouillon gives the meatloaf a lot of its flavour so I wouldn't suggest omitting without substituting something else.
If you don't have bouillon or stock cube you could try some other kind of seasoning (poultry seasoning perhaps or BBQ seasoning!). You won't get the same flavor but you might invent something delicious!
You get a lot of salt from the bouillon so make sure if you are going to omit it and not replace it that you add a little salt.
I hope that helps!
Best of luck with your WW journey.
Kind regards
Marianne
Claudia says
How much of the Panko bread crumbs can I use instead of the bread?
Michele F says
1 cup according to Google
Luna Regina says
Thanks for sharing. This meatloaf looks delicious, and it's always great to have a healthier alternative.
Kathleen says
Hi! This looks soon good! Can't wait to try it. I never buy bullion cubes cuz the salt is so high. But I do have better then billion and wondering to replace with that .. if so I'm assuming one teaspoon per cube? Thanks! Looks so
delish!
Patrish says
I haven’t made this yet but I will. Can I make a suggestion? I recently discovered how to make garbanzo bean bread crumbs. It has been a game changer!! It is 0 pts. I use in anything requiring breadcrumbs and you’d never know. You can go online for a recipe. I make a batch and freeze.