Most Delicious Moist Meatloaf
Learn techniques to make a moist meatloaf main dish with traditional and several surprising ingredients that work together to hold in moisture while enriching the sweet, tangy glaze.
Yield
8 servingsPrep
10 minCook
60 minReady
80 min
Why does adding cottage cheese and bread to meatloaf help retain moisture?
Adding cottage cheese and bread to meatloaf helps retain moisture primarily due to the moisture-retaining properties of these ingredients.
Cottage cheese, being a dairy product, is a source of moisture itself, and it also helps to bind the other ingredients together, preventing the meatloaf from drying out during the cooking process.
Bread, especially when soaked in milk or other liquid, adds additional moisture to the meatloaf and helps to keep it tender.
The bread absorbs the liquid and then releases it slowly during cooking, keeping the meatloaf moist and preventing it from becoming too dry.
What temperature is used to cook meatloaf?
Meatloat temp: the oven is typically set to 350°F (180C). This temperature ensures that the meatloaf cooks thoroughly without drying out.
It's a standard temperature recommended by most recipes and experts for achieving a moist, well-cooked meatloaf.
How long to cook meatloaf?
To cook meatloaf at 350°F, the general rule is about 35-45 minutes per pound of meat.
For a 1-pound meatloaf, you'd be looking at approximately 35-45 minutes, while a 2-pound meatloaf could take 1 to 1¼ hours.
The cooking time for a larger 3-pound meatloaf would be around 1½ to 2 hours. R
Using a meat thermometer is the best way to ensure your meatloaf is cooked to a safe internal temperature.
The internal temperature should reach 160°F for beef or pork meatloaf and 165°F for poultry meatloaf.
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| For meatloaf | |||
| 2 | pounds |
ground beef
|
|
| ½ | cup |
onions
grated |
|
| 1 | medium |
green bell peppers
chopped |
|
| 3 | large |
eggs
beaten |
|
| 1 |
hamburger buns
grated, AKA, brioche bun, freeze for easier grating |
*
|
|
| 1 | cup |
cottage cheese
creamy |
*
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
salt
|
|
| ½ | teaspoon |
black pepper
ground |
|
| ½ | cup |
milk
|
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
worcestershire sauce
|
|
| For topping | |||
| 1 | teaspoon |
dry mustard
|
|
| ⅓ | cup |
brown sugar
packed |
*
|
| 1 | teaspoon |
nutmeg
ground |
|
| ½ | cup |
ketchup
|
|
Ingredients
| Amount | Measure | Ingredient | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| For meatloaf | |||
| 907.2 | g |
ground beef
|
|
| 118 | ml |
onions
grated |
|
| 1 | medium |
green bell peppers
chopped |
|
| 3 | large |
eggs
beaten |
|
| 1 | each |
hamburger buns
grated, AKA, brioche bun, freeze for easier grating |
*
|
| 118 | ml |
cottage cheese
creamy |
*
|
| 5 | ml |
salt
|
|
| 2.5 | ml |
black pepper
ground |
|
| 118 | ml |
milk
|
|
| 5 | ml |
worcestershire sauce
|
|
| For topping | |||
| 5 | ml |
dry mustard
|
|
| 79 | ml |
brown sugar
packed |
*
|
| 5 | ml |
nutmeg
ground |
|
| 118 | ml |
ketchup
|
|
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350℉ (180℃).
To prepare meatloaf: In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly combine ground beef (beef mince), grated onions, bell pepper, eggs, grated bun, cottage cheese, salt, ground pepper, and Worcestershire sauce.
You can use a large wooden spoon or clean hands to mix.
Place in a 9 by 12-inch (23 x 30 cm) baking dish or pan, shaping into a roughly rounded tube leaving edges to collect any excess moisture or fat. We also like to form a channel down the center to hold the glaze in place (see photo).
For the glaze: Mix mustard, brown sugar, nutmeg, and ketchup; spread on top of meatloaf.
Bake for 1 hour. Remove any accumulated fat from the edges before serving in thick slices.
