How to Cook a Meatloaf in Your Instant Pot...

You need to know right away, this is not a recipe for a meatloaf that you will cook in your Instant Pot. Rather this is a tutorial on cooking your favorite meatloaf recipe in the Instant Pot. Come and take a look...

We are getting settled as fast as is possible. 

What with 100+ temperatures, along with discussing plans for the future and spending time with the grandson. Meatloaf is often a fall back dinner idea around here. For one thing, we like it and after that is makes great sandwiches. But meatloaf is perfect for making up a large recipe and putting half or more away in  slices for future meals. It is something we have done for awhile now, and I can tell you that on busy days, it is quite nice! You can read about it right here, and included is a delicious basic recipe that could be cooked in your Instant Pot, as well as baked in the oven. 

The day that we had ground beef out to make a large meatloaf, it was about 105 degrees outside. 

And trust me, no one wanted the oven on! About then I decided it was time to teach myself how to cook a meatloaf in the Instant Pot, and what I learned was that I love the texture and the moistness of meatloaf cooked under pressure. In past times a baked meatloaf could be dry or over cooked. And while it is not the end of the world, especially if everyone is hungry, I still prefer a moist meatloaf. And my guess is, so do you.

During my research I noticed that most meatloaf recipes cook in 25 to 30 minutes. 

In those recipes the measure of meat was one and a half pounds of ground beef. However we were using just over two and a half pounds of meat, and I ended up cooking that meatloaf for 35 minutes. These cooking times are helpful to avoid overcooking the meat, but also, you may have different meatloaf recipes calling for different amounts of ground beef. Plus there is a 10 minute (NPR) standing time before releasing the pressure and opening the lid. Again, cooked, but not overcooked. 

I also noticed that many recipes also cooked potatoes in the pan at the time. 

And while this is convenient, personally I would only add whole potatoes if cooking a smaller 1 1/2 pound meatloaf. Otherwise you run the risk of overcooking the potatoes. For a larger meatloaf using 2 1/2 pounds of ground beef, I would probably choose to cook the potatoes separately or have a different side dish, like this Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese or these Slow Cooker Roasted Potatoes. 

An additional though on this process/recipe:

And finally this! Like most appliances, I have discovered that my Instant Pot cooks slightly different, from the many recipes I have tried, indicate. My current model seems to need an additional minute or two. Adjust the cooking time listed in the recipe if needed for your particular model.

So now, lets concentrate on how to cook a meatloaf in the Instant Pot, or even your stop top model!

How to Cook a Meatloaf in Your Instant Pot!

by the seat of my pants, because there is a first time for everything!

Place the required amount of water needed for your Instant Pot and a rack into the cooking vessel. 

Lay down a sheet of parchment paper, turning in the sides to make it fit the pan. The parchment will allow the excess grease to drain away as the meatloaf cooks. 

By all means make up your favorite meatloaf recipe. For cooking review the suggested cooking times from the second paragraph above. But should you wish to try something new, we love this easy and delicious Melt in Your Mouth Meatloaf!

When all the ingredients are mixed together, shape the mixture into a ball, then drop onto the parchment. Pat gently to get a flat bottom. 

If desired, drizzle a bit of your favorite BBQ sauce or catsup over the meatloaf, before securing the lid and beginning to cook. 

Cook the meatloaf for the time needed: 

For a meatloaf recipe calling for 1 1/2 pounds of meat, cook for 25 minutes, and let stand 10 minutes (NPR) before releasing pressure and opening the lid. Let cool slightly, then slice and serve. 

For a meatloaf recipe calling for 2 1/2 pounds of meat, cook for 35 minutes, and let stand 10 minutes (NPR) before releasing pressure and opening the lid. Let cool slightly, then slice and serve. 

We did put half into the freezer for another dinner, and yes, we will sauté the slices in butter for another delicious dinner with family.

 

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