Sheet Pan Meatloaf and Green Beans Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Should green beans be cooked covered or uncovered? ›

Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook until tender, about 6 minutes, then uncover and boil until the water evaporates, 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.

By free-forming a meatloaf—not cooking it in a loaf pan—we get maximum surface area exposure, and therefore maximum flavor. So not only does it make it easier to slice and guard against sogginess, but mounding your meatloaf instead of panning it also makes your meatloaf literally tastier.

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.

The key to the best beans is to master how long to boil green beans. 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.

Cook covered until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve.

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.

Meatloaf is notorious for being greasy when cooked in a loaf pan; it basically just sits in its own fat and cooks! Here's a simple trick to reduce the grease in your homemade meatloaf. When making meat loaf, line the bottom of your pan with slices of bread.

Fewer eggs will create a denser and firmer meatloaf that will be more compact and easier to slice, but more eggs can create a more tender and light texture that allows the meatloaf to melt in your mouth.

What is the basic meatloaf formula? ›

In essence, it boils down to a few simple steps: Combine ground meat, eggs, breadcrumbs, and other flavorful ingredients of your choice. Put this mixture in a lightly greased loaf pan and bake it until it's cooked through.

If you baked the meatloaf in a loaf pan, carefully drain off the liquid fat before transferring the meatloaf to a clean cutting board. Cut into thick slices and serve.

When covered with foil or a lid, meatloaf retains moisture and cooks more evenly. The trapped steam helps prevent the outer layer from drying out, resulting in tender and juicy meat throughout. This method is particularly useful if you're making your loaf with a leaner meat that tends to dry out quickly.

Toward the end of the cooking time (our standard two-pound meatloaf takes about one hour), follow this simple method to know when it's done. Use an instant-read thermometer ($18, Walmart). The meat loaf's internal temperature should register 160°F when the thermometer is inserted into the center.

How to know when meatloaf is done without a thermometer - Quora. You just have to make sure it's piping hot all the way through. I usually prick food to the centre with a fork, and leave it there for 30 seconds or so. If it's burning hot on the back of my hand when I pull it out, then it's safe to eat.

Also, I always cook my beans with the lid off. The flavor is so much better as the liquid concentrates, like in making any kind of broth. Lids do decrease cooking time, but I'd rather have more flavorful beans. The biggest thing you can do for your beans is act as though you're making a broth.

If you simmer beans in an uncovered pot, they will end up firmer and more intact. This perfect for dishes where you really want the beans to keep their shape without smooshing, like salads and pasta dishes.

Boil and simmer until perfection.

Placing the lid on the pot will help the beans boil faster, but make sure to keep an eye on them so they do not boil/bubble over.

Stovetop Instructions

Place soaked beans in a large pot; cover with fresh water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until beans are tender but firm. Most beans will cook in 45 minutes to 2 hours depending on the variety.