The Genius Bread Trick You Need For Eliminating Meatloaf Grease

As ground beef prices always seem to be on the rise, meatloaf remains a budget meal classic since it allows you to stretch the protein by adding in ingredients like breadcrumbs or vegetables. Chef Rocco DiSpirito even advocates for making meatloaf extra-fatty by mixing in ground bacon. Since the meat used in meatloaf goes into the pan raw, though, this means you can't cook off any excess grease by browning, which means it'll all end up in the loaf pan. One way to deal with the mess is to make turkey meatloaf, but it does tend to be dry (although we have some tips to help avoid this issue of dry or tough turkey meatloaf). Another way, according to Erica Blaire Roby, involves adding a few slices of bread (whole, not crumbs).

Roby is the founder, owner, and champion pitmaster at Blue Smoke Blaire BBQ, and was the winning contestant on Season 2 of Food Network's "BBQ Brawl," so she knows her way around a pit smoker. Her meatloaf tip is applicable even if you're using an oven, though. Her advice: "Lining your pan with soft sandwich bread can soak up excess grease while cooking." White, wheat, or even rye bread will all work fine, but you're going to want something the texture of a supermarket pre-sliced loaf because for this application, a crusty baguette or dense loaf of sourdough won't be nearly flexible enough to conform to the contours of the pan. Thicker slices, too, might occupy too much room and displace some of the meat.

Mushy, grease-soaked bread may not seem like an attractive side dish to serve alongside meatloaf, but nonetheless, it doesn't belong in the trash (or even the compost bin). Erica Blaire Roby suggests, "After the meatloaf has cooked, remove it, let it get stale, and add to your salads and soups." If you don't want to wait for the bread to dry on its own, you can speed the process along a bit by placing it on a pan to contain the grease, then sticking it back into the oven on low heat. If you chop the slices into squares first, you'll have nice, neat croutons when they're done. You might even wish to sprinkle them with a little parmesan cheese or granulated garlic to add extra flavor, although the meatloaf grease alone will make them pretty tasty.

Yet another thing to do with that dried-out bread would be to use it in a savory breakfast casserole. It can also be ground up to make breadcrumbs, which can then be used to coat fried chicken or fish. In fact, those same breadcrumbs could also be used to make meatballs, or yes, even meatloaf, thus bringing the bread slices full circle.