MINI MEATLOAF RECIPE with CHEDDAR CHEESE (2024)

FAQs

Why milk instead of water 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.

A 'stuffed' meatloaf made with beef, pork, cheese, eggs, soup mix and bread crumbs. Mozzarella cheese jazzes up a classic.

The answer lies in the binding ingredient. Binding ingredients are the items that, quite literally, pull your dish together. In meatloaf, this is most commonly the eggs and breadcrumbs.

To help your meatloaf stay together add things such as eggs, bread, crushed croutons, oatmeal, crackers, and breadcrumbs, these are all key ingredients that help meat stick together.

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.

Milk adds richness and moisture, while the bread helps keep the meatloaf texture softer. So, omitting milk would omit some creaminess and moisture. Those can be easily subbed out by many other ingredients like chicken stock, cream, butter, etc.

The most common reason meatloaf is mushy is too much liquid added to the mixture. Too much liquid will stop the meatloaf from baking and cause the meat to boil instead.

By free-forming a meatloaf—not cooking it in a loaf pan—we get maximum surface area exposure, and therefore maximum flavor. So not only does it make it easier to slice and guard against sogginess, but mounding your meatloaf instead of panning it also makes your meatloaf literally tastier.

Eggs bind the mixture, add flavor and increase browning, but too much egg will make a meat loaf tough and rubbery. Use about one egg per pound of meat. If using pork sausage, skip the egg. Milk adds flavor and moisture and helps distribute the seasoning throughout the mass.

What can I add to meatloaf for flavor? ›

Herbs: Fresh herbs like rosemary, thyme, and parsley can bring a burst of flavor to your meatloaf.

The most traditional meatloaf binder is probably torn up bread soaked in milk, but you can also use bread crumbs, Panko, dehydrated potato (instant mashed potatoes), or just about any other grain.

Bread or Cracker Crumbs: If you used too many bread or cracker crumbs in your meatloaf mixture, it can make it excessively moist and mushy. Adjust the amount of breadcrumbs to ensure the mixture holds its shape without being too wet.

Overall, ketchup adds a touch of sweetness and acidity to the meatloaf, so when you're looking for substitutions, you will want to use something that captures one or both of those tastes to really round out your dish.

When choosing a baking pan, avoid a small loaf pan or baking dish. A tight fit means that the loaf will steam — think school cafeteria meatloaf. Instead, use a sheet pan or a large baking dish and leave some breathing room so the edges will caramelize nicely.

Yes, you may make cakes with milk instead of water. Because fat provides richness and solidity to the cake, milk can increase the cake's moisture content and flavor. 1) Use the same quantity of milk as water called for in the recipe.

It adds nutritional value to baked goods. Mainly protein, calcium, and vitamin B12 which are all necessary for a heathy diet. But we don't only look for the nutritional benefits when using milk in our bread dough. The fat and lactose in milk help with tenderizing the crumb of the bread making it softer and sweeter.

In an absolute pinch, water can sometimes be used as a substitute in a recipe that calls for milk…but you might experience some changes in flavor and texture. (Think: Less creamy, less fluffy and less rich.)