Bop's Favorite Meatloaf | This is the BEST Meatloaf Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart? ›

When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well. Including larger quantities of these items should help solve the problem.

Meat – For the most tender and flavorful meatloaf, we use a combination of ground beef (preferably with 80% fat content, sometimes referred to as “ground chuck”), ground pork, and ground veal. Some stores will package this together as “meatloaf mix”; if your store does, then simply purchase 2 pounds of meatloaf mix.

Adding baking soda to the beef keeps it moist by stopping the proteins from binding too quickly (which dries out the meat). Using sauteed onions instead of raw ensures the onions don't turn out crunchy and adds extra moisture to the meatloaf. Moistened breadcrumbs, keep the meatloaf moist and tender.

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.

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.

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.

Cooking your meatloaf at 350°F creates a tender and moist result. This lower temperature allows the meat to cook gradually, preserving its natural juices and flavors.

Crackers. Crushed-up crackers make an excellent bread crumb substitute in baked dishes like meatballs or meatloaf. The crackers work just as well as the bread crumbs to hold the meat mixture together, and using varieties like salty saltines or buttery Ritz is a great way to add an extra burst of flavor to your dish.

Meatloaf should have a delectable outer crust

Whether it's coated in a traditional ketchup glaze or layered with strips of bacon, the outside is where a lot of flavor development happens. By free-forming a meatloaf—not cooking it in a loaf pan—we get maximum surface area exposure, and therefore maximum flavor.

Should I cook onions before putting in meatloaf? ›

I later learned how I could avoid this problem and make a fully smooth meatloaf by pre-cooking any vegetables, especially the onion, before adding them to the ground meat. This way the meatloaf gets the flavor without the rawness -- a method from the smart people at Cook's Illustrated.

Just as you would with dry brining, rinse your meat until it's (mostly) free of all the baking soda.

Beware Breadcrumbs: Overusing breadcrumbs can soak up moisture and leave your meatloaf dry. Use breadcrumbs in moderation or try using alternatives like oats or crushed crackers. Use Extra Egg: Eggs act as binders and provide moisture. Add one or two eggs per pound of meat for a moist texture.