Meatloaf is a meat dish consisting of seasoned ground meat (usually ground beef or a combination of ground beef with veal, lamb, or pork), which is formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. In 2007, it was voted the 7th favorite dish in the United States according to the Good Housekeeping website. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on an ordinary baking pan. During the Great Depression it was popular to add cereal grains to the meatloaf to stretch the meat; the tr.