Mini Meatloaves with a Tomato Glaze | Slimming World Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Why do you put ketchup on meatloaf? ›

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.

So, yes, we want our meatloaf moist, but we don't want it grease-laden and soggy. If we take a pile of ground beef and pack it into a loaf pan, the fat that renders out has nowhere to go, and so the loaf swims in its own juices…but not in a good way.

Once baked, transfer the cooked meatloaves to freezer-safe bags or containers. To reheat the frozen meatloaf, place in the 2-cup stoneware, or an 8-by-8 baking dish. Cover with foil bake at 350ºF until hot, about 35 minutes for 1 cup portions or 1 hour for 2 cup portions.

Depending on the thickness of the meatloaf, I'd do 325-375 until it's 140F in the middle. I love meat loaf. Ingredients are important. But I won't pay more than $6 a pound for ground meat.

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.

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.

Metal pans are great conductors of heat; in other words, they heat up quickly, but in turn, they also cool down more rapidly once removed from the heat source. Additionally, metal pans can withstand higher temperatures than glass.

If you want to make the best meatloaf possible, a sheet pan is a much better medium.

Raw meatloaf should last up to six months in the freezer. You do need to consider if the meat was frozen before you made it into the meatloaf. Depending on how it was defrosted, it may not be safe to refreeze. Frozen meat that was thawed in the refrigerator is ok to refreeze, according to the USDA.

A frozen meatloaf needs 1.5-2 times longer than a thawed meatloaf, therefore you will need to bake it at 350 for at least an 1 hr and 30 minutes, but it may take up to two hours. Be sure to check the internal temperature to verify that it is done. As a reminder, the safe internal temperature of meatloaf is 155 F.

How to keep meatloaf moist when reheating? ›

Wrapping the meatloaf in aluminum foil or covering it with a damp paper towel can help prevent moisture loss during reheating.

As noted above, the most reliable way to tell when meatloaf is done is by checking the internal temperature of the meatloaf with an instant-read thermometer, inserting it into the center of the meatloaf. Meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.

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.

If the meatloaf is over 160°F, or 165°F if you used chicken or turkey, it's fully cooked and safe to consume even if it's still pink inside. The reason your meatloaf may still be pink in the middle when fully cooked is nitrates.

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.

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.

Step 2: Gently Mix the Ingredients

Add the ground beef. With clean hands, use your fingers to thoroughly but gently mix the ground meat into the egg-bread crumb mixture until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Overmixing can make the meat loaf dense and tough.

Since ketchup is acidic, it helps tenderize tough cuts of meat by breaking down the tough fibers. However, a good steak tastes good on its own with a little seasoning for a flavor boost, so you are better off using a different technique to tenderize it.