We all love meatloaf. It is a very popular breakfast and dinner meal. It takes some skill to prepare properly, which is why most of us will prefer to cook a lot of it and store it to serve the family longer.
The problem, however, rises when we decide to reheat the food. Do you know how to reheat meatloaf properly? There are several safe methods of reheating meatloaf without drying it out. This post will cover all of them and provide you with additional tips to help improve the food. Let’s get to it.
First, A bit of Caution…
Before we talk about the best way to reheat meatloaf, a caution. Certain online platforms recommend undercooking your meatloaf so that it does not dry out when you decide to reheat it. Doesn’t seem right, does it?
You should know that undercooking your food will cause some health issues for you and your family and you should ignore that advice completely. The USDA recommends that you cook your food to a certain temperature, at which point the food will be safe for your body. The minimum temperature for the internal parts of your meatloaf should be 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the same as 71.1 degrees Celsius. It is highly recommended that you use a good thermometer to ensure that your meatloaf gets to that temperature before you serve it to your family.
Let’s start tackling the reheating methods.
Using an Oven or Convection Toaster Oven
The first way is to reheat meatloaf in the oven.
The first step is to check that the rack in the oven is at the center. Then preheat the oven to around 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
The best thing to do is to place the meatloaf in a baking dish. Make sure it is a shallow one. You should then add some beef broth, or water, preferably about a tablespoon. If you add a lot of water, the meat will become soggy.
The third step is to insert the thermometer at the center, after which you should use aluminum foil to cover the food. Make sure the thermometer is oven safe before placing it in there.
After you are certain that it has reached a meatloaf safe temperature of 165 degrees, you can remove the meatloaf from the convection oven.
You are probably wondering how long to reheat meatloaf in an oven. Meatloaves have different thickness levels. Therefore, instead of cooking for a certain period, only cook with the internal temperature in mind.
Using a Skillet or Frying Pan
Now, we will talk about how to warm up meatloaf using a skillet. It is not reasonable, or cost-effective to reheat a small amount of meatloaf using an oven. A skillet will be much better and easier to work with.
You can get either of two results. You can reheat the meatloaf and get a crusty exterior, which is achieved by reheating the meat at high-temperature levels. Otherwise, you simply reheat at lower temperatures while turning the meatloaf often.
Remember, the temperature should finally reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
So, the first step is to preheat the frying pan. Add some oil, bacon grease, or some butter. You can preheat it at a medium temperature setting if you are going for a crusty exterior. Otherwise, we recommend reheating it at a medium-low setting.
After the pan warms up properly, add the meatloaf on top.
You should then reheat the meatloaf on both sides until you are sure it has reached the recommended temperature.
If you flip it fewer times, it will end up with a crusty outside. If you reheat it slowly and continue to flip it often, it will not have the crust. In case you notice that your pan has started getting dry, simply add some beef broth or water, preferably a tablespoon or two.
Using a Microwave
If you are reheating meatloaf for one person, or with leftovers, it is very easy, especially with a microwave. The best way to reheat meatloaf in the microwave is to avoid reheating it as a whole chunk. If you are wondering how to reheat frozen meatloaf, simply slice it up before reheating. Otherwise, you will have a cold inside and a dry outside.
First, place the meatloaf on a plate. Make sure the plate is microwave safe.
After that, use a clean and damp towel to cover the meatloaf plate. Finally, reheat the meatloaf until it achieves the desired temperature. There is no specific time for reheating meatloaf using a microwave because they are different in power and size.
Using a Steamer Basket
How do you moisten leftover meatloaf? If you do not want to enjoy a meatloaf that has been dried out, you should consider using a steamer basket. This method of reheating meat is not only efficient in preventing dry meat, but also good for slices of meat. It is recommended that you reheat slices of meat instead of an entire chunk of meat.
The first step is to add some water to the pot, preferably an inch, and allow it to simmer. Do not allow the water to touch the meatloaf.
After the meat starts simmering, place the slices of meatloaf inside the steamer basket above the pot of simmering water and then cover it.
Allow it to simmer until the temperature gets to the recommended 165 degrees Fahrenheit. If you prefer to use this method, make sure that you keep checking the temperature occasionally. You can not place the thermometer in the meat when the lid is in place.
Related: Best 7 Stovetop Stainless Steel steamer cookware
Conclusion
How many times can you reheat meatloaf? The truth is that each time you reheat food; it loses its quality bit by bit. Luckily, the answer is quite simple. Instead of reheating all the food at once, divide it into the bits you need to eat. Reheat the amount of food you will require instead of the entire meal.
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