Why This Recipe Works

True one-pan meals are hard to come by, but one that also cooks all the components at once—without adding ingredients in stages—is a unicorn. For a totally hands-off one-pan meal of meatloaf, roasted potatoes, and Brussels sprouts, we started by choosing straightforward meatloaf ingredients that didn’t require precooking (such as mushrooms or onions). A panade of crushed saltines and milk kept the ground beef moist in the oven. Soy sauce and grated Parmesan cheese added savory depth to the meatloaf while fresh thyme, granulated garlic, and red pepper flakes added pep. Two eggs held the meatloaf together, and a coating of ketchup turned into an intensely sweet and tangy glaze that nicely complemented the meat. Hearty small red potatoes and Brussels sprouts were the perfect vegetables to roast alongside the meatloaf; they only got better the longer they cooked in the 400-degree oven, turning creamy inside and deeply browned and crisp on the bottom. To brighten up the vegetables’ deep roasted flavor, we gave them a quick toss in a lemon-parsley oil just before serving.

Before You Begin

There are about 35 saltines in one sleeve of crackers. Be sure to use small red potatoes measuring 1 to 2 inches in diameter here. Look for Brussels sprouts with small, tight heads that are no more than 1½ inches in diameter, as they’re likely to be sweeter and more tender than larger sprouts.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray rimmed baking sheet with vegetable oil spray.

Transfer saltines to large zipper-lock bag, seal bag, and crush fine with rolling pin. Combine Parmesan, eggs, milk, soy sauce, thyme, granulated garlic, pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and saltine crumbs in large bowl. Mix until all crumbs are moistened and mixture forms paste. Add beef and mix with your hands to thoroughly combine.

Transfer meatloaf mixture to center of prepared sheet. Using your wet hands, shape into 9 by 5-inch rectangle; top should be flat and meatloaf should be an even 1½ inches thick. Brush top and sides of meatloaf with ketchup.

Toss potatoes, Brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in bowl. Place potatoes and Brussels sprouts on sheet, cut side down, around meatloaf. Bake until meatloaf registers 160 degrees and vegetables are tender and browned on bottoms, 40 to 45 minutes.

Remove sheet from oven. Transfer meatloaf to cutting board; let rest for 10 minutes. Stir parsley, lemon zest, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil in medium bowl until combined. Transfer vegetables to parsley mixture and toss until evenly coated. Slice meatloaf and serve with vegetables.