Leftover Meatloaf Quiche Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is meatloaf good after 5 days in the fridge? ›

Meatloaf generally stays good for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator, but only when properly stored.

Reheat the meatloaf without drying it out by covering it with aluminum foil or a lid to trap moisture, and consider adding a pan of water in the oven for steam.

Extra Breadcrumbs: Breadcrumbs are already found in most meatloaf recipes, but an extra ¼ cup of them can make up for the loss of one egg. Olive Oil: Olive oil is far runnier and, naturally, oilier than eggs, so you'll want to add one tablespoon at a time until the consistency seems right.

Bad meatloaf has an unpleasant aroma. This is the easiest way to determine if things have gone south. Note appearance. If the color of the meat seems unusual or if it appears pale, these are signs that it should be tossed.

USDA recommends using cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. There are two different families of bacteria: pathogenic bacteria, the kind that cause foodborne illness, and spoilage bacteria, the kind of bacteria that cause foods to deteriorate and develop unpleasant odors, tastes, and textures.

When this happens, it's because you didn't use enough. Next time, try adding in an extra egg and/or some more breadcrumbs. Alternatively, rice, barley, corn flakes, crackers, and dried soup mix can also stand in as binding ingredients as well. Including larger quantities of these items should help solve the problem.

Q: Why does my meatloaf always crack while cooking? A: Meatloaf usually cracks when the outside has cooked much more quickly than the inside. When meat cooks, the proteins contract and bind together; when it doesn't cook evenly, the outer proteins tighten up, leaving cracks in the top of your meatloaf.

Not Cooking the Meatloaf Long Enough

Undercooking the meatloaf can also contribute to excess moisture. Make sure to cook the meatloaf thoroughly to evaporate any excess liquid. Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature reaches at least 160°F.

By adding finely diced or pureed aromatic vegetables to your mixture, you are adding additional moisture into the meatloaf. Not only does this make your final product juicier, but it also adds lots of extra flavor.

Cover the whole pan with aluminum foil. Put in oven at 300 for about one half hour or until warm. The damp/wet towels will keep the moisture in. Don't work the mixture any more than you need to, and make sure your oven isn't too hot: 325F is the ideal temperature for meatloaf.

Is it better to reheat meatloaf in the oven or microwave? ›

Ovens don't dry food out as much as microwaves do, so they're perfect for reheating meatloaf. Besides, you'll be reheating your meatloaf with the same appliance you cooked it with. That way your reheated meatloaf will taste as close as possible to fresh meatloaf!

If the meatloaf is over 160°F, or 165°F if you used chicken or turkey, it's fully cooked and safe to consume even if it's still pink inside. The reason your meatloaf may still be pink in the middle when fully cooked is nitrates.

The only way to guarantee tender meat is not to overcook it. And that's a simple matter of using a thermometer when you bake the meatloaf. Milk does, on the other hand, add moisture and fat and is worth including for that fact alone.

Eggs bind the mixture, add flavor and increase browning, but too much egg will make a meat loaf tough and rubbery. Use about one egg per pound of meat. If using pork sausage, skip the egg. Milk adds flavor and moisture and helps distribute the seasoning throughout the mass.

Leftovers can be kept for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. After that, the risk of food poisoning goes up. If you don't think you'll be able to eat leftovers within four days, freeze them right away. Frozen leftovers will stay safe for a long time.

Raw ground beef is generally safe to consume within 1 to 2 days of refrigeration. After 4 days, there's an increased risk of bacterial growth and spoilage. To ensure food safety, it's best to cook or freeze raw ground beef within a couple of days of purchasing it.

After you've cooked the ground beef to a safe internal temperature of 165 degrees, you have about three to four days to eat it.

As far as keeping times, the general rule of thumb is that you should not keep raw meatloaf in the fridge for more than a day, especially if it contains eggs and cheese. Cooked meatloaf can keep for up to two days, but any storage period longer than that requires freezing.