Crock Pot Mississippi Meatloaf
Crock Pot Mississippi Meatloaf is a tender and moist meatloaf with an incredibly flavorful gravy made with all those Mississippi flavors you love!
A FLAVORFUL CROCK POT DINNER RECIPE
Crock Pot Mississippi Meatloaf is a delicious and easy recipe that everyone will love. It has all the classic flavors of a traditional meatloaf with a twist! We call it “Mississippi” because it is inspired by the original Crock Pot Mississippi Pot Roast which is made with pot roast, a packet of au jus (or onion soup mix), a packet of ranch seasoning, peperoncini peppers and a stick of butter. As you’ll see here, you can use that combination of flavors for just about any meat (be sure to see the bottom of this post for all the other variations I have!) This delicious Crock Pot dinner is sure to become a regular in your household!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Typically the butter is added on top with various other Mississippi flavored recipes, but with this particular recipe, the ground beef has enough fat for flavor in it that the butter isn’t even missed!
It was actually tested that way first. Just sprinkling the packets on top did not give me that good, infused Mississippi flavor that you get with the other recipes. It seasoned the top really well but didn’t really get into the meatloaf itself. And I wanted that flavor to really be infused within the meatloaf. I also wanted to ensure this made enough gravy that also had those same flavors to be poured over the top of each serving. The best way to do this was to mix in the seasoning packets into the meatloaf itself and also mix it in with additional water to make a gravy.
I don’t consider really any of my Mississippi flavored recipes spicy, but if you have any sensitivity to any kind of heat, I suggest leaving the peperoncini juice out and only using like 3-4 of the peppers. The peppers alone (since they are staying whole) will not add spice.
But I know some of you like it extra spicy so you could swap out some of the milk for more peperoncini juice in the actual meatloaf mixture itself. Or you could even chop up some of the peperoncini peppers and add them into the meatloaf mixture as well.
Along with your meatloaf you can serve it with some mashed potatoes and steamed vegetables like I did. You could also add a side salad and maybe some biscuits with it.
Since it has a delicious gravy, you could also serve this meatloaf over a bed of egg noodles or rice.
It is recommended. As the ground beef cooks, you end up getting little bits of meat pieces floating in the gravy which a lot of people find unappealing. But if that doesn’t bother you then don’t strain the gravy.
Yes, follow the instructions through step 7 then put plastic wrap over the insert and place it in the refrigerator overnight so it’s ready for the next day. When you’re ready to make it, remove any plastic wrap and place it into the slow cooker base, cover with the slow cooker lid and proceed with the recipe as it was written.
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and place in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Store gravy and meatloaf separately if possible.
To reheat leftovers, use the slow cooker. I suggest adding some water to the bottom of the cooker so it helps with any sticking that might occur. Or you can wrap the meatloaf in foil and reheat in the oven or place in a microwave safe container and reheat in the microwave. If you need to loosen up the gravy, just add a splash of water, whisk and bring it to a simmer on the stove before adding to meatloaf.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- milk– I suggest using 2% milk fat or higher.
- eggs – In this recipe I mention that the eggs should be ‘well beaten’. That just means to mix them up before adding them to the meat mixture. This will help the eggs blend into the meat better.
- granulated sugar – this might seem weird (and you can certainly leave it out) but this really helps balance out some of the other salty flavors in the meatloaf. It ends up being very little per serving.
- au jus gravy mix and ranch seasoning mix – if you are sensitive to salt, or don’t generally like to salt your foods generously or need lower sodium options, you definitely need low or no sodium mixes. If you don’t care for salt much at all, this is not the recipe for you. In addition, if you can’t find the au jus gravy mix, you can use an onion soup mix. Also, if you are unable to find low sodium options, you can make them homemade yourself and adjust the salt levels when making them. Ranch Seasoning Mix recipe here. Onion Soup Mix recipe here.
- panko breadcrumbs – regular bread crumbs can be used
- lean ground beef – you want lean ground beef so it doesn’t release too much grease into your gravy while cooking. You will have some grease, there’s no really way to avoid that but we want as little as possible so try to get 85/15 or 90/10 ground beef. In addition, ground chicken, ground pork or ground turkey can all be used.
- peperoncini juice – if you are super sensitive to any spice at all, I would not add this in. You do not need to substitute with anything else.
- peperoncini peppers – if you just keep these whole on top of the meatloaf, they won’t add heat, they’ll just add flavor. It’s not a “Mississippi” style recipe without them and people are always surprised what amazing flavor it adds.
- cornstarch and water – this is to make a cornstarch slurry that we will use to thicken up the gravy.
HOW TO MAKE CROCK POT MISSISSIPPI MEATLOAF
In a 6 or 8-quart crock pot, place a large piece of foil into the bottom of the slow cooker and make sure it goes up the sides and up the sides. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, 1 packet of the au jus gravy mix, 1 packet of the ranch seasoning mix, and the breadcrumbs until fully mixed.
To the bowl, add in the ground beef. Mix everything together until combined but don’t over mix. When you mix ground beef too much, it can turn out tough. I find this easiest to combine with clean hands.
Add the meatloaf mixture to the crock pot and gently shape it into an oval. In another bowl (or measuring cup like I used), whisk together the cold water, peperoncini juice, the remaining packets of au jus gravy mix and ranch seasoning. Mix until combined well.
Pour this gravy over the meatloaf and around the sides. Place the peperoncini peppers on top of the meatloaf. Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. It is done when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F.
Carefully lift out the meatloaf and place it on a serving dish. I found the easiest way to do this was to get two spatulas underneath it and lift it out. You could grab the sides of the foil to lift it out but with all the gravy, it would be a bit tricky and messy.
Strain the gravy from the crock pot into a medium-sized sauce pot and place over medium heat. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth. Once the gravy comes to a simmer, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while whisking the entire time. Allow to simmer for 1 minute until thickened then turn off heat.
Slice and serve the meatloaf, and add additional gravy over each portion.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Crock Pot Mississippi Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk 2% or higher
- 2 large eggs well beaten
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 (1 ounce) packets au jus gravy mix, divided use (see notes below)
- 2 (1 ounce) packets ranch seasoning mix, divided use (see notes below)
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (regular bread crumbs can be used_
- 2 pounds lean ground beef (85/15 or 90/10)
- 3 cups cold water
- ¼ cup peperoncini juice (do not use if you don't tolerate any spice at all)
- 6 peperoncini peppers (you can use less)
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a 6 or 8-quart crock pot, place a large piece of foil into the bottom of the slow cooker and make sure it goes up the sides and up the sides. Spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, 1 packet of the au jus gravy mix, 1 packet of the ranch seasoning mix, and the breadcrumbs until fully mixed.
- To the bowl, add in the ground beef. Mix everything together until combined but don’t over mix. When you mix ground beef too much, it can turn out tough. I find this easiest to combine with clean hands.
- Add the meatloaf mixture to the crock pot and gently shape it into an oval.
- In another bowl, whisk together the cold water, peperoncini juice, the remaining packets of au jus gravy mix and ranch seasoning. Mix until combined well.
- Pour this gravy over the meatloaf and around the sides.
- Place the peperoncini peppers on top of the meatloaf.
- Cook on low for 5-6 hours or high for 3-4 hours. It is done when the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F.
- Carefully lift out the meatloaf and place it on a serving dish. I found the easiest way to do this was to get two spatulas underneath it and lift it out. You could grab the sides of the foil to lift it out but with all the gravy, it would be a bit tricky and messy.
- Strain the gravy from the crock pot into a medium-sized sauce pot and place over medium heat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water until smooth.
- Once the gravy comes to a simmer, slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while whisking the entire time. Allow to simmer for 1 minute until thickened then turn off heat.
- Slice and serve the meatloaf, and add the gravy over each portion.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- NOTE: If you are sensitive to salt or you don’t usually salt your foods generously or you need lower sodium options for health reasons, please use low or no sodium options. This will not be the dish for you if you do not like your food salted.
- Peperoncini peppers are interchangeable with banana peppers. Although this will not be considered spicy to a majority of people, if you can’t tolerate any spice at all or you don’t think you’ll be able to tolerate the spice at all, then don’t use the peperoncini juice and use half the number of peppers on top. The peppers on top do add a lot of flavor and are what make this a “Mississippi version” meatloaf since it takes after the Mississippi Pot Roast recipe.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Store meatloaf and gravy separately if possible.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Hello Is there a difference between Ranch Drssing packs and Ranch Seasoning Packs ? Thanks rick
No. They now call it “dressing mix and seasoning”. If you look at my ingredient image above, you can see the packet I used if that helps 🙂
Thanks for the quick reply – It must be the Hidden Valley Ranch Dip packets that are different
Very delicious ! Thank you, everyone loved it!
Lord have mercy, I’ve never had meatloaf like this before! Even the meatloaf haters went wild! Gravy on meatloaf is THE way to go! So, so good! I did use low sodium packets because of dietary needs in the family & it worked out just fine. Those of us who can have salt just seasoned to our taste if we wanted.
Help me out here please. I am lactose intolerant
Can I use almond milk in place of 2% milk in the Mississippi meatloaf?