Sheet Pan Meatloaf and Green Beans Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why don t you want to cook the meatloaf in the loaf pan? ›

Loaf pans corral the juices and fat to create a moister, more steamed, texture. The steamed texture can often be more reminiscent of a school cafeteria meatloaf, which some people are averse to, but it will look more like a typical meatloaf when it's cooked this way as meatloaf in a sheet pan tends to be flatter.

Cook the green beans, covered, in a small amount of boiling salted water until crisp-tender: 10 to 15 minutes for whole or cut green beans. 5 to 10 minutes for french-cut green beans.

Mixing your ingredients too much is a very common mistake that can really make for meatloaf with a tough, dry texture. Self-control is the key; once the ingredients are mixed in, stop. Remember, the meatloaf is going to be mixed more as it's shaped before baking. When shaping your loaf, looser is better.

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.

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.

The oven temperature is typically set at 350 degrees F for making meatloaf. That's the temperature you want to be sure to use so the meatloaf cooks and doesn't dry out. Too high, and the outer crust will burn before the interior is cooked all the way, too low and you don't get that delicious crust.

The perfect green bean should be a nice bright green (unless it's the yellow or purple variety), with no blemishes. They should be firm and snap when bent in half. A 3–5 minute boil or steam will cook the beans whilst retaining their crunch.

First, take a look at the color of your raw green beans. They should be a vibrant green color, so if they have lost that bright color, this is a bad sign. A few brown spots here and there are a good indicator that they are aging, but should still be safe to eat.

Spices and Herbs that Pair Perfectly with String Beans (These are Organic Too): Garlic (minced, powder or granules) Onion (minced, powder or granules) Parsley as a finisher with some lemons squeezed on top.

Raw vegetables are crunchy, so adding chunky carrots or stringy celery to your meatloaf can result in a textural nightmare. Even if you figure that the meatloaf will cook for an hour in your oven, this time is not enough to allow your vegetables to cook all the way through and soften.

What is the secret to good meatloaf? ›

Try adding minced garlic, parsley, and thyme for a deeply savory taste. For mouthwateringly bold meatloaf, add Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, and ketchup to the pre-baked mixture. This blend ensures that each bite is deliciously balanced with just a hint of sweetness.

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.

Because it is made of ground meat, we must cook all meatloaf to 160°F (71°C). But because we don't want to dry it out, we don't want to go beyond that temperature at all, if we can help it. Using a leave-in probe thermometer like the ChefAlarm^® to monitor the temperature while cooking can help guarantee success.

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.

When the meatloaf is done, remove the loaf pan from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 10-15 minutes. Drain the extra fat and liquid off of the meatloaf and discard. Slice the meatloaf and serve.

Overall, glass and ceramic pans seemed to brown the cake more quickly than the other materials — silicone barely browned the loaves — making them less ideal for sweet baked goods. However, we could see glass or ceramic loaf pans being the ideal vessel for savory loaves or dishes like meatloaf.

I just turn it out. I always spray the pan with a cooking spray to help it not stick, and if you let it rest a few minutes the meatloaf will shrink away from the sides. Just a bit of patience is required.

Lightly grease a standard size loaf pan with cooking spray. Add all of the meatloaf ingredients to a large bowl and gently mix everything to combine (without over-working the meat). Add the meat mixture to a loaf pan and gently pat into an even layer.

Lining your loaf pan with parchment paper creates a nonstick surface that makes it easy to get the meatloaf out of the pan when it's done.