Meatloaf meets shepherd’s pie in this easy and delicious meatloaf casserole. Seasoned ground beef is topped with a generous layer of tomato sauce, then it’s all topped off with a mashed potato topping.

Meatloaf casserole in a baking dish.

I love a classic meatloaf, and I always serve it with mashed potatoes, so it was a short trip to imagine this meatloaf casserole. It’s meatloaf meets shepherd’s pie!

This meatloaf casserole uses the same base as my classic meatloaf, then it’s topped with lots of tangy tomato sauce and a generous layer of mashed potatoes. If I’m being honest, I love the extra tomato sauce in this casserole. It was always my favourite part of meatloaf :)

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Ingredients and substitutions

A few notes about the key ingredients …

Ground beef – I recommend either lean or extra lean ground beef for the nicest meatloaf layer.

Tomato paste – I have always preferred meatloaf with a tomato paste-based sauce, for a richer tomato flavour. That said, some in my family prefer it using canned tomato sauce instead. Try both and pick your favourite, or try half tomato paste and half tomato sauce, for the best of both worlds!

Mashed potatoes – You can make your own mashed potatoes for the topping. You’ll want to season them with butter and salt, as normal, and you’ll need 3 1/2 – 4 cups of prepared mashed potatoes.

For a super easy casserole, I sometimes make use of the premade, refrigerated seasoned mashed potatoes from the grocery store. The premade mashed potatoes are sold in 680g/24 oz packages and are the perfect size for this casserole. I don’t recommend Instant mashed potatoes, as they don’t seem to be firm enough to stand up in a topping like this.

How to make meatloaf casserole

This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making this recipe.

Meatloaf mixture in a mixing bowl.
1
Adding tomato sauce to the meat mixture.
2
Pressing the meat mixture into a casserole dish.
3
  1. Start by mixing up the meatloaf mixture of ground beef, onion, eggs and crushed crackers.
  2. Stir in a bit of the tomato sauce for flavour.
  3. Press the meatloaf mixture into a casserole dish.
Meatloaf mixture ready for the oven.
4
Spreading the tomato sauce over the baked meatloaf mixture.
5
Casserole after baking the tomato layer.
6
  1. Place the casserole on top of a baking sheet and bake about 30 minutes to cook off the fat.
  2. Drain the fat from the casserole, then spread the tomato sauce over the top.
  3. Return the casserole to the oven for 10-15 minutes to set the tomato sauce.
Mashed potatoes spread over the casserole.
Sprinkling the mashed potatoes with paprika.
Meatloaf casserole after cooking.
  1. Remove from the oven and spread the mashed potatoes over the top.
  2. Sprinkle with paprika for colour and return to the oven.
  3. Bake until the mashed potatoes are hot and the meatloaf is cooked through.
Meatloaf casserole in a baking dish.

Recipe tips!

  • Opt for a casserole dish smaller than a 9×13, which may be too large. A dish around 8×10 or 7×11-ish is perfect! This will keep the layers well-balanced.
  • The baking time of the layers should be sufficient to thoroughly cook the beef, but it’s always good to test it with a thermometer. It should register 165F at least at the end of cooking.
  • You’ll want to keep a baking sheet under the casserole throughout the baking, as the fat from the ground beef can bubble up and over the sides.
  • The recipe as written is generously saucy. There was some discussion in the household as to whether it was too saucy. I was assured that there is no such thing, so I just went with it :) If your mileage differs, you can certainly reduce the sauce layer to your liking.
  • Serve this meatloaf casserole with a green vegetable. Peas are classic, or try green beans or broccoli.
Meatloaf casserole in a baking dish.

Get the Recipe: Meatloaf Casserole

This meatloaf casserole is the love-child of a meatloaf and Shepherd's Pie. All the best parts of a comforting meatloaf dinner, in one casserole dish!
5 stars from 2 ratings
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Meatloaf Layer:

  • 2 lbs lean or extra lean ground beef
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 cup soda crackers, crushed (Saltines or similar crackers)
  • 1/2 cup onion, finely diced

Tomato Sauce Layer:

  • 11 oz canned tomato paste, (two 5.5oz cans or about 1 1/2 cups) *see Note 2 below
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 1/2 cup white vinegar, I generally use white, but try both and see which one you prefer
  • 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard

Mashed Potato Layer:

  • 3 1/2-4 cups prepared mashed potatoes, seasoned with butter and salt *see Note 1 below

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350F. (non-convection/not fan-assisted). Have ready an 8×10 or similar-sized casserole dish.
  • In a medium bowl, make the sauce by stirring together all of the sauce ingredients until smooth. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, add the ground beef, egg, salt, pepper, crushed crackers and diced onion. Using a large spoon, stir to combine well. Add 1/3 cup of the prepared tomato sauce to the ground beef mixture and stir in well.
  • Spoon the ground beef mixture into the casserole dish and press it into the dish in an even layer. Place the casserole dish on top of a baking sheet (to catch any bubble-overs) and place it into the preheated oven to cook for 30 minutes.
  • Remove the casserole from the oven. Carefully tip the casserole and drain the excess fat from the dish into a bowl. Once drained, spoon the tomato sauce over the top and spread it into an even layer. Return the casserole to the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
  • Tip! Dropping the mashed potatoes in large dollops evenly over the casserole makes it easier to spread them out over the tomato sauce.
  • Remove the casserole from the oven. Drop big dollops of the mashed potatoes over the top of the casserole and use a spoon to spread them into an even layer on the top of the casserole. Sprinkle the mashed potatoes with some paprika, then return the casserole to the oven.
  • Tip! The time needed to heat the mashed potato layer will vary depending on whether your mashed potatoes are warm, room temperature or cold when they go in the oven. Mashed potatoes that are still warm from freshly cooking will take the least time to heat, though, while mashed potatoes made ahead and cold from the fridge will take longer to heat.
  • Finish baking the casserole until the mashed potatoes are hot, and the ground beef layer is cooked to at least 165F.

Notes

Note 1: You can make your own mashed potatoes (you’ll need 3 1/2-4 cups mashed potatoes seasoned with butter and salt) or opt for ready-made, refrigerated mashed potatoes from the grocery store. Main St. is what is available locally, and it comes in 680g/24oz containers, which is the perfect size for this casserole. Instant mashed potatoes are not recommended as they tend to be too thin to hold up as a topping for this casserole.
Note 2: You can substitute canned tomato sauce for the canned tomato paste in equal amounts. For a bit of both, use half tomato paste and half tomato sauce.
Tips!
Opt for a casserole dish smaller than a 9×13, which may be too large. A dish around 8×10 or 7×11-ish is perfect! This will keep the layers well-balanced.
You’ll want to keep a baking sheet under the casserole throughout the baking, as the fat from the ground beef can bubble up and over the sides.
The recipe as written is generously saucy. There was some discussion in the household as to whether it was too saucy. I was assured that there is no such thing, so I just went with it :) If your mileage differs, you can certainly reduce the amount of sauce to your liking.
Serve this meatloaf casserole with a green vegetable. Peas are classic, or try green beans or broccoli.
Be sure to read the notes above this Recipe Card for more tips, substitution suggestions and step-by-step photos that you might find helpful.
Cuisine: American, Canadian
Course: Main Course
Author: Jennifer Maloney
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 448kcal, Carbohydrates: 53g, Protein: 39g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 125mg, Sodium: 969mg, Potassium: 1630mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin A: 842IU, Vitamin C: 37mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 7mg
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