5 Best Ways How To Reheat Meatloaf – In Pan | Oven or Toaster Oven | Microwave | Air Fryer
Many people can attest to the fact that meatloaf is among their favorite meals. However, knowing how to reheat your meatloaf is the problem because it often comes out either dry or soggy if not done correctly.
If you mess up the warming up process, you may not want to eat that meatloaf.
Some people usually get professional chefs to prepare meals that need reheating. You may not afford this luxury or want to save your money and do this yourself.
You need to note that you are preparing your meatloaf yourself because it needs to be a little bit undercooked. It should look slightly pink. Therefore, when you are warming it up, it will be fully cooked.
This is mainly for the ones you think might be left over.
Another thing you should keep in mind is that overheating your meatloaf will make it dry. Therefore, you should only expose it to adequate heat.
These are various methods you can use, so it is safe to say that there is no one best way to reheat meatloaf. Please keep reading to learn how to reheat meatloaf!
Contents
- Best Way To Reheat Meatloaf In A Skillet
- How To Reheat Meatloaf In The Oven or Toaster Oven
- Can You Reheat Meatloaf In The Microwave Oven?
- Reheat Leftover Meatloaf In The Air Fryer
- Can You Rehear Meatloaf In Crockpot/Slow Cooker?
- Frequently Asked Questions About Reheating Meatloaf
- What is Meatloaf?
- Conclusion
Best Way To Reheat Meatloaf In A Skillet
You may not have heard of the idea of warming up meatloaves in pans or skillets because it is not so common.
The important thing is that it works. Be careful not to over-fry the food because it will come out burnt, dry, and tasteless.
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Steps
- Light your stove and set it to medium heat. Put the skillet on the stove.
- Pour some oil or butter, depending on what you prefer, into the pan, and let it get some heat.
- Place your leftover meatloaf and stir fry it. Turn it over using a spatula so the other side can warm up too. Two minutes is enough for each side. You should be quick when doing this, or else the food will get burned.
- Get the food out of the pan and allow it to cool for a while. Serve your meatloaves.
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How To Reheat Meatloaf In The Oven or Toaster Oven
If you want the best results when warming up meatloaf, you should use an oven or toaster oven. Many individuals who get frustrated with the oven are those who subject the meatloaf to too much heat.
What happens is that the food will become extremely hot but also dry because all the moisture will evaporate. Here are the correct steps to follow.
Steps
- Preheat your oven until it gets to between 225°F and 250°F.
- Get a shallow dish for your meatloaf and some aluminum foil to cover it. Some people use a trick that puts beef broth or water on the same plate to give the meatloaf more moisture. This reduces the chances of the meatloaf drying out.
- Place the meatloaf in the oven and take it out after 25 minutes.
- Leave it for some minutes and then serve.
How long to warm up the meatloaf in the oven?
It depends on the temperature and whether you reheat the whole meatloaf or slices. At 350°F, you will reheat the slice of meatloaf for 7-12 minutes, but the whole meatloaf will require 20-25 minutes. You can also bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes at 225°F to 250°F.
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Can You Reheat Meatloaf In The Microwave Oven?
The microwave oven guarantees that you’ll enjoy your meatloaf in the shortest time possible. Thus, if time is a factor, you should consider warming up your meatloaf using this method.
Some people are hesitant to try the microwave method because they say it drains the meatloaf’s moisture and makes it dry. If you choose to use this method, you need to know how to do it right.
Steps
- Ensure you have a microwave-friendly dish that you’ll put the meatloaf in. Cover it with a paper towel which should be both clean and damp.
- Set the microwave to reheat for about 2-4 minutes. The exact time should depend on how hot your microwave gets. Take out the meatloaf and touch the center to see whether it is hot. If they are warm enough, you can stop. Put the meatloaf back for another 30-60 seconds if it needs more heat..
- When satisfied that the meatloaves are warm, get them out of the microwave and enjoy.
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How long to reheat the meatloaf in the microwave?
Reheating the meatloaf in the microwave will take from 2 to 4 minutes. It is tricky to find a balance between sufficiently warming the dish and not drying it out.
Reheat Leftover Meatloaf In The Air Fryer
If you’re living in an uncomfortably small place or if you’re putting up in college dorms, then an air fryer is an excellent choice for you.
You can also choose to cook and reheat food using this appliance if you like how the air fryer makes food crispy.
Let’s see how to reheat meatloaf in the air fryer.
Steps
- Cut the meatloaf into slices if you haven’t done that already.
- Spray both sides of the slices using cooking spray.
- Put the meatloaf slices in the basket inside the air fryer or infrared oven. You can use a spatula to do this.
- Put the meatloaf in the air fryer for approximately 10 minutes. They will have become brown and crispy. Avoid turning over the slices.
- Take out your meatloaf and enjoy.
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Can You Rehear Meatloaf In Crockpot/Slow Cooker?
When you read instructions from the manufacturers of slow cookers, they are clear that it is not advisable to use the cookware to directly warm up your food.
That’s why you’ll also need an oven or microwave for this.
Steps
- Preheat the slow cooker by turning on the high setting. Also, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Place your meatloaf in the slow cooker. It should only be 2/3 full at the most.
- Put the crock in the microwave or oven, depending on which one you are using. Remember to remove the crock’s lid before doing this.
- Let the food warm up to 165°F. You can use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature.
- Get the crock out of the microwave or oven.
- Use the warming section inside the slow cooker to ensure the food stays warm.
- Lower the temperature of the slow cooker. The ideal temperature is warm or low setting.
Frequently Asked Questions About Reheating Meatloaf
How to reheat meatloaf and keep it moist?
The top reason meatloaf dries out during reheating is if it loses its moisture. This happens mainly when too much heat is used. On the other hand, excessive moisture will make meat go bad. Therefore, you need to find a balance by ensuring your meatloaf has enough moisture to keep it soft without spoiling it.
Remember that the goal when warming up meatloaf is to prevent it from losing moisture. That is why wrapping it comes in handy. If you don’t do this, you’ll end up with dry and crispy meatloaf. Some people use foil or damp paper towels to trap moisture when reheating meatloaf. Remember that you can not use foil when reheating in the microwave oven.
What kind of meatloaf is best for reheating?
Undercooked meatloaf is the best for reheating. I know this is not what you expected, but it’s the truth. If you want your meatloaf to come out perfectly, remove the heat when you notice that the outer layer of the meat has become pink. The heat that the meat has accumulated will ensure that the middle section is ready. The meatloaf will, therefore, not dry out quickly when reheating meatloaf.
How should you store your leftover meatloaf?
Sometimes, we usually leave our leftover food on the kitchen counter. When you do this with meatloaf, it gets bacteria and goes bad quickly. The best way to keep your meatloaf fresh is to store it in the refrigerator until the time you’ll need to reheat it.
How many times can you reheat meatloaf?
There are no hard limits to how many times you can safely reheat your leftover meatloaf. However, it is best practice to limit the number of times you reheat it to maintain its quality and taste. Generally, you won’t need to reheat meatloaf more than once. If you warm it up twice, you will be pushing it. If you reheat it more than once, you will have a dry meatloaf without much flavor.
What is Meatloaf?
Meatloaf is enjoyed by people from various parts of the world. It slightly varies in how it’s prepared from one region to another. Meatloaf is a favorite in many American homes. This is because it is not only easy to prepare, but it is also delicious.
It is usually served during dinner.
The main ingredients in this food are ground meat and loaves, as the name suggests. However, some people use poultry, pork, turkey, and lamb to prepare their meat.
The meat is typically ground, and other ingredients, such as onions, eggs, and ketchup, are added to it before it is shaped to look like a loaf of bread. After that, this mixture is smoked or baked. Once the loaf has been cooked, you can slice it to create various portions you can then eat.
The meatloaf is usually served with tomato or any type of sauce, such as barbeque sauce. Brown gravy can also be added to it.
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Conclusion
It is not wise to throw away leftover food, especially now that we have so many ways of reheating them and getting them to almost the taste they had when they were freshly prepared. This applies to meatloaf too.
With the methods discussed here, you can save the money you would have to prepare another meal. You will not use a lot of effort in making fresh food since the meatloaf only requires rewarming, and you will have to prevent unnecessary waste by throwing the food away.
It is not simply about throwing the meatloaves in the oven or microwave. You need to follow the specific steps and instructions for the various reheating methods. That is how you’ll ensure that your meatloaf is tasty even after warming it up.
It, therefore, goes without saying that it is vital to learn how to warm up the meatloaf.
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