Why does my meatloaf fall apart?
There can be many reasons why your meatloaf falls apart. The most common reason is that your meatloaf doesn’t have enough binding agents. To help your meatloaf stay together add things in like eggs and bread crumbs because they are key ingredients that bind meat stick together. Another reason why your meatloaf may be falling apart is that it is overcooked.
Do you have to put milk in meatloaf?
Milk is the preferred liquid for meatloaf, but there are some great substitutes if you do not want to use it. The reason milk is added in meatloaf is that it soaks the bread crumbs which add needed moisture to the meatloaf. If you personally do not want to use milk you can try using low sodium beef stock, chicken stock, water, or a non-dairy milk substitute.
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Is it okay if my meatloaf is a little pink?
The color of your meatloaf will not tell you if it is done or if it is safe to eat. To tell if your meatloaf is fully cooked and safe to eat you need to take its internal temperature. For ground beef to be safe and fully cooked, it needs to reach an internal minimum temperature of 160 Fahrenheit. If your meatloaf is just a little pink but is 160 Fahrenheit, you are ready to eat.
If you like this recipe, you may be interested in some of our other classic dinner recipes:
Watch the video below where Rachel will walk you through every step of this recipe. Sometimes it helps to have a visual, and we’ve always got you covered with our cooking show. You can find the complete collection of recipes on YouTube, Facebook Watch, or our Facebook Page, or right here on our website with their corresponding recipes.
Momma's Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lean ground beef
- 1/2 white onion diced
- 1 cup dried bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon. basil
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the glaze:
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, knead together the ground beef, onion, bread crumbs, milk, egg, worcestershire sauce, salt, basil, oregano, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
- Shape the meat into a loaf and put it into the prepared pan. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
- Mix up the glaze in a small bowl by whisking together the ketchup, brown sugar, and worcestershire sauce. Brush it over the hot meatloaf.
- Increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the meatloaf reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F.
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Renee Harper says
I have tried several different meatloaf recipes. This one has been the best so far. It was very good I did leave the glaze off.
Kathy Atkins says
Mdy husband and son0in-law lovedd the meatloaf. I am going to make it tonight. Thanks for the recipe.
Shelly says
Delish!! Will be using this recipe from now on!
Chelsea says
Only had 1 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce so substituted the other 2 with steak sauce. Gave it a nice kick and was a huge hit at Christmas!
Mary Hill says
My meatloaves always turned out dry and crumbly. I tried your recipe, and it came out perfect. I did add ketchup to the meatloaf mixture, because that’s the way I like it. I will make all future meatloaves with your recipe. Love it. It was very moist and delicious.
Michael j Stokes says
just made the Momma’s meatloaf
Jessica J Taylor says
The reason I am giving this recipe four starts instead of five is because the cooking time was much longer than listed above. This meatloaf took me an hour and 45 min to fully cook. I think next time I will make it into two loafs instead of one to cut down cooking time. This was a very delicious meatloaf. I also sauteed the onions prior to mixing it into the meat to add a sweeter onion. The glaze was amazing. My husband loved it.
Richena Johnson says
I have tried many meatloaf recipes through the years. This is the bomb!! My husband said we will definitely make this again.
Thank you!!