What temp are you cooking it at? Do you have a pic of what you mean by crust?

The only thing I can think of off hand is that the temp is too hot and cooking the outside faster therefore creating a crust.

If you :

1. set the temperature too high (as was said by CLB)

2. have an electric oven and you put the loaf on the top rack too close to the heating element

3. have too much bread crumb in your recipe

dcarch

I'm sorry, but I don't have a picture of an overdone crust. But I usually bake between 325*-350*. And I almost aways have it in a Corning Ware baking dish with a trivet under the loaf for drainage.

After posting that question I started thinking that I'm overcooking. My husband likes his meats rare (barely past the mooing stage) but hamburger in any form has to be very well done. Go figure............

I have tried lowerng the temperature somewhat but now I'm wondering if I should lower quite a bit more and just cook it longer. And even after all these years, I'm also now wondering if the Corning Ware may be adding to the problem.

Jenna

Have you tried packing the meat mixture in a loaf pan and baking in that? The juices should keep five of the six sides from browning and then you can pour them off when the baking is finished.

Just today I saw on "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" where the meat loaf was wrapped up tightly in parchment paper, placed on a trivet in a baking pan, some water added to the pan, then the loaf was baked - and "bobs your uncle" - no crust at all.

Teresa

I wanted to report back on my perfect meatloaf.

Teresa, I actually have read something similiar where someone had taken a meatloaf, in a loaf pan, put it into a slow cooker with water around the pan. If I remember correctly it had a removable insert.

dcarch, yes I've always used an electric oven and how did you know I used bread crumbs? :) But that did get me to thinking and re-reading recipes online.

I had left over French bread so soaked the torn up bread in an egg and milk mixture. Added sauteed onions and garlic and my usual seasonings then added the hamburger. After forming I put it into a glass loaf pan that I had just recently purchased for bread and covered loosely with foil. I can't tell you how long I baked it for (maybe an hour and 15 minutes, give or take a little) but I set the oven temperature at 325*. Occasionally sucked the grease out and when it was done it was perfect, both for dinner that night and for sandwiches the next day.

Thank you all for getting me to rethink meatloaf. I think that I was just stuck in a meatloaf rut and never really thought about what I was doing before.

Jenna

I know you weren't asking for a recipe but the cooking method on this is similar to the one Teresa mentioned. It is from a great diner in town so it was adapted from a larger recipe. They had some cumin in the recipe that I eliminated for our use. Unfortunately, now I don't remember the amount it called for. Anyway, this might help you out.

Meatloaf
from
MontyâÂÂs Blue Plate

1 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
1/2 cup finely minced carrots
1/2 cup diced green pepper (I omitted this)
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1 T finely diced garlic
1 T salt
1 ü tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper

5/8 tsp nutmeg
2 ý lbs. ground beef
6 ü ounces seasoned pork breakfast sausage
4 ý eggs, well beaten
5/8 cup ketchup
5/8 cup half and half
7/8 cup of dried oats, quick or old-fashioned

Saute vegetables in small amount of olive oil and butter, adding seasonings while sautéing. While vegetables are cooking, mix together the ground beef and sausage in a large bowl. Add well-beaten eggs and mix thoroughly. Add ketchup, half and half, and dried oats, mixing well before adding seasoned vegetable mixture. Spray two 9x5x3 inch loaf pans and fill with mixture to ü inch from top. Place in large pan filled with ý inch of water. Cover with foil. Bake at 400 for 50 minutes. Remove foil and cook 13 minutes more.

That sounds good, lv.

Jenna, I'm glad you were able to find the meatloaf texture you wanted. Sometimes you just have to rewind the way you've been doing it.

I had a similar experience when visiting our daughter a few years ago. She mixed up a batch of seasoned ground meat for cocktail meatballs, then proceeded to put the blob of meat between two sheets of waxed paper and even out the thickness with a rolling pin. Then she removed the top paper, cut the meat into squares with a serrated knife and put the meat squares on a baking sheet to brown in the oven before adding to the sauce.

It took a fraction of the time of rolling all those little meatballs and browning them in a skillet and since then, I often find myself asking " Who said that (type of food) always has to be (cooking method, shape, etc.)?" It was a good lesson to be learned.