The Canned Soup Addition For Flavorful Dairy-Free Meatloaf

Meatloaf has history beyond the Great Depression, notes Matt Morgan's Meatloaf Recipes, as the concept of mixing meat with filler dates back to Roman kitchens, where patties were made of bread, wine, and meat, per The Atlantic. Since then, the almighty meatloaf has seen a variety of revisions: While ground meat continues to serve as a primary ingredient, selected fillers, including breadcrumbs, oatmeal, crackers, rice, panko crumbs, leave room for interpretation, and ingredients used to bind, moisturize, season, and decorate have been decided upon by chefs around the world.

If you're planning to serve our Classic Meatloaf recipe for tonight's dinner and an attending guest has certain dietary restrictions, don't panic. Although meatloaf recipes typically require milk and bread to keep the dish juicy and perfectly textured, notes America's Test Kitchen, you have options when it comes to flavoring meatloaf to satisfy even the most finicky of eaters — or those dealing with allergies.

Pack in extra flavor while giving your go-to meatloaf recipe a boost by replacing milk with condensed vegetable soup, recommends Kitchn. Instead of using milk to soak your bread or panko crumbs, use the soup. Campbell's condensed Old-Fashioned Vegetable Soup delivers up carrots, potatoes, celery, peas, and corn that have been stewed in beef stock. Plus, with enriched pasta, your meatloaf will bind and stay juicy long after it is taken out of the oven. To add even more vegetable servings to the dish, America's Test Kitchen recommends browned mushrooms, sharing that they can help amplify savory and umami elements of the dish. 

Use our Southern Meatloaf recipe and adjust it to suit your preferences and the requests of your guests. By the end of dinner, you'll be asked for a list of ingredients and be ordered to share the recipe. Your only regret will not to have made more to enjoy tomorrow.