Perfect Meatloaf

Since it’s been a while since we posted, this one is going to be a two-in-one. We are going to do a new recipe and product review all rolled into one.

I love a good meatloaf and love it even more when I have a new product to use to bake it. I purchased 'The Perfect Meatloaf Pan' at Target and decided to give it a whirl. I’m not one who usually falls victim to ‘as seen on TV’ products. Ok, maybe a little, but this just seemed like a no brainer, plus it came with a recipe book! My meatloaf is pretty tasty, but it’s sort of just shaped into a loaf in a casserole dish left to swim in whatever drippings there may be. I’ve never really had a problem with my meatloaf falling apart. I think that has to do with using a recipe with more meat and less filler, but if there is a product I can use to eliminate excess fat and make clean up easy, I’m in!

There are lots of delicious looking recipes in the book that came with the pan, and I will definitely be trying some of them out soon. But for the first time, I thought I would use my own recipe. Here’s what you’ll need:

1lb Lean Ground Beef
1lb Ground Turkey (I use the 93/7)
1 Egg
½ Cup Quick Oatmeal
Dehydrated Onion
¼ Cup Ketchup
¼ Cup Water
Salt & Pepper

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. You may want to add a little more/less water and ketchup, because you want your mixture to be very moist.

Spray the meatloaf pan and insert tray very well with cooking spray. Put the insert tray in the pan and add the meat, shaping into a loaf.
Bake for about an hour or until meat is done in the center. (According to the meatloaf pans recipe book, a 2 lb meatloaf should cook about an hour.)
Remove from pan and let your meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes before slicing.

ATTENTION: I cooked my meatloaf for an hour and it was still a little pink in the middle. Since it was already sliced and out of the pan, I sprayed a nonstick skillet and cooked in both sides until it was done (just about 3 minutes). Another 15-20 minutes in the oven would be all you would need to finish the cooking.

You can see how much liquid/fat was cooked out of the meatloaf, and the meatloaf was still very moist. Considering I used very lean meats, I think ½ cup is a pretty large amount. Overall, I’m impressed!

I will definitely use this pan next time I make meatloaf. I’m also very excited about trying some of the recipes that were included like the Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf or Shepherd’s Pie Meatloaf. Yum-o!

-Anna