What is the secret to a great meat loaf?

Use high-fat meat . For a meatloaf made with a leaner beef or turkey, consider mixing in some ground pork and/or veal in order to achieve a moist, tender meatloaf. Chopping up bacon and adding it to the mix is always a great way to add fat. Oh, and covering it in bacon never hurts, either.

Is it better to cook meatloaf at 350 or 400?

The best temperature to cook the meatloaf at is 350°F and it requires about 1 hour, give or take a few minutes, depending on size and shape. 1 hour should be more than enough for a 2 pound meatloaf.

Should you cover meatloaf when baking?

Should I cook my meatloaf covered or uncovered? The meatloaf can be cooked uncovered . However, if you are concerned about it burning, you can cover the meatloaf with foil for the first 45 minutes and uncover it for the final 15 minutes to allow the meatloaf to brown on top.

Is meatloaf a Great Depression food?

During the Great Depression, cooking meatloaf was a way for families to stretch the food budget by using an inexpensive type of meat and left-over ingredients .

What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart?

In meatloaf, this is most commonly the eggs and breadcrumbs . Your binding ingredient is only second to the meat itself in your recipe and the reason why meatloaf crumbles. When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs.

Why do you put milk in meatloaf?

Milk and other dairy products, like heavy cream and buttermilk, contain both water and fat, adding two types of moisture to our meatloaf. There's a long-held theory that milk can tenderize ground meat , and this is the reason often cited for cooking ground meat in milk to make a Bolognese-style ragù.

What is the basic meatloaf formula?

The Basic Meatloaf Formula All recipes for meatloaf start with the same basic formula: 2 pounds of ground meat and a “panade” made of bread or crackers soaked in milk . Along with a few eggs, this panade helps to hold the ground meat together and adds some essential moisture to the mix.

How long should you let meatloaf rest?

You can make meatloaf either in a loaf pan or free-form. Free-form meatloaves have a crust all around; loaf-pan meatloaves have a more "steamed" texture. It's strictly a matter of preference. Let your meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes after it comes out of the oven; it will hold together better when slicing.

What is the best temperature to cook meatloaf and for how long?

A meatloaf made from two pounds of meat with all the extras mixed in will bake in about an hour in a 350 degree F oven . Brush half the glaze on the meatloaf before you put it in the oven and the remaining half after it's baked for 45 minutes.

How important is the egg in meatloaf?

Eggs play a crucial role in meatloaf recipes. They add to its moisture and texture while binding all the other ingredients together.

How to make a Bobby Flay meatloaf?

directions Preheat oven to 425°F. Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. ... Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. ... Whisk together the remaining ketchup and balsamic vinegar in a small bowl then brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Is meatloaf better on a sheet pan or loaf pan?

Not only does sheet pan meatloaf bake up faster than its traditional loaf-shaped cousin, it also has more surface area, meaning every bite is laden with that deliciously caramelized topping.

Marvelous Million Dollar Meatloaf Recipe Is Worthy of Every Cent | Beef

My husband and I grew up eating entirely different styles of meatloaf. His mom made meatloaf with corn in it and ketchup on top, while mine liked to top her meatloaf with cream of mushroom soup. Needless to say, my husband thinks ketchup is a must when making meatloaf, though he tries all the different meatloaf creations I come up with. When I saw a Southern Living recipe that elevated the ketchup topping, I knew I had to try it. I'm happy to report that this ground beef meatloaf recipe was a success with all parties involved in eating it!

The secret ingredient in this million dollar meatloaf recipe is pepper jelly. The jelly is stirred into the ketchup and adds another layer of flavor that's a little sweet and a little spicy (see Recipe Notes). To make this fancified meatloaf recipe you will need lean ground beef, buttery crackers, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, black pepper, eggs, garlic, onion, ketchup and pepper jelly (or another jelly of your choice). The moist meatloaf bakes up in about an hour in the oven.

Serve this easy meatloaf for dinner with your favorite side dishes. Because the meatloaf is so moist, the leftovers heat up will for dinner or lunch the next day. Or grill them up and make a meatloaf sandwich!

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Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour (approximately)
Total Time: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients

Meatloaf

2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups crushed buttery crackers (I used Ritz)
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons sea salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper (or to taste)
2 eggs
4 garlic cloves, minced fine or pressed (original recipe called for 2 cloves)
1 medium onion, grated on the large holes of a box grater (see Recipe Notes)

Topping

2/3 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons pepper jelly (see Recipe Notes)

Helpful Products

Recipe Notes

If you don't have pepper jelly or don't want any spice to your meatloaf, use another jelly like apple-horseradish (delicious!), peach, apple, pear or whatever you like. The jelly elevates the ketchup and adds another sweet flavor dimension. Don't skip it!

I used my Le Creuset 13x9-inch baking pan, but any baking dish big enough to hold the loaf or a baking sheet will work just as well.

Grating the onion on a box grater produces thinner pieces of onion and releases the juice, which adds more flavor. If you don't have a grater with large holes, you can simply dice the onion.

If you don't have evaporated milk, you could use heavy cream or half and half.

I used Ritz crackers, but any buttery cracker would work. I would not use saltines, as they would not add the rich, buttery flavor this meatloaf needs to be worth one million dollars!

Here's how to make it:

Put all the meatloaf ingredients (not topping) into a mixing bowl.
Mix until combined.
Form the mixture into a loaf in an aluminum foil-covered baking dish or baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 35 minutes.
While the meatloaf bakes, put the ketchup and jelly into a small bowl.

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Mix well. Set aside.
Remove the meatloaf from the oven at 35 minutes.
Spread the ketchup mixture over the meatloaf. Return to the oven for about 30 more minutes or until meatloaf is cooked through (165 degrees F internal temperature).
Let the meatloaf rest about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.