Meatloaf Recipe - Women Living Well (2024)

FAQs

What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart? ›

Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well.

Eggs Add Structure

Egg yolks, which are mostly water but contain a good amount of protein and fat, add flavor, richness, and moisture. They also help bind the meat together and get the loaf to set in a stable form without the need to overwork the meat.

Milk – Whole milk gives this more richness and a juicy texture. Garlic – Mince the garlic cloves to evenly distribute the flavors through the meatloaf. Ketchup – An essential flavor enhancer for the best meatloaf. Worcestershire sauce – Gives this traditional meatloaf recipe a bounty of beefy flavor.

Whisk together the eggs and herbs in a large bowl. Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup and 2 tablespoons of the balsamic vinegar, the vegetables and mix until just combined. Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

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.

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.

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.

Another common reason meatloaf is mushy is too much filler, like breadcrumbs, bread, and oatmeal. Too much filler will stop it from baking correctly and becoming a fully formed meatloaf. So, just as you would reduce the amount of liquid you use, reduce the amount of filler you use.

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.

What happens if you don't add milk to meatloaf? ›

Milk and eggs: The combination of milk and eggs work together as binding ingredients to hold things together in the loaf. This is vital to creating a meat loaf that won't fall apart as you slice it. If you don't have milk on hand, try substituting chicken, beef or vegetable broth.

Whether you slather a thick layer of ketchup on top of the meatloaf before it goes into the oven, add a few tablespoons to the ground meat mixture, or serve extra ketchup on the side, this tangy-sweet, umami-rich condiment balances out the richness of the beef, making it an essential part of the dish.

If you don't have any bread, you can substitute it for breadcrumbs, crackers, cereal grains, oatmeal, instant rice, instant barley, or even potato flakes! However, bread is still the best choice of all the potential options.

Try to work as efficiently as possible and avoid squeezing too hard, since overworking the beef is a big reason why burgers fall apart. If you don't want to grill them right away, however, throw them in the fridge while you wait – colder burgers are less likely to break down when you cook them.

Cornstarch. Cornstarch helps bind the ingredients together while adding minimal flavor to meatloaf. Combine 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of water per egg to substitute egg in meatloaf with a smooth and cohesive texture.