When I was younger meatloaf wasn’t something my brother and I enjoyed.  It was made in a bread pan baked nearly covered in its own grease.  Times and cooking techniques have changed, now meatloaf is one of our families favorite dishes.  Why?  Because I learned how to cook meatloaf without all the grease.Back in the day, Mom would come home from work to make a delicious home cook meal, my brother and I were hungry and ready to eat it.  On our plate sat delicious mashed potatoes and green beans then a slab of meatloaf.  Looking back I felt so bad it really wasn’t her cooking, she made delicious meals.  The meatloaf was so intrenched with grease, that was all we could taste.  We couldn’t taste all the spices and herbs that went into it.

When I got married, my husband wanted to try meatloaf.  So I tried a couple times using the bread pan method and just couldn’t eat it.  Then along the “air cooker” and my imagination begin to wonder about all the different ways to cook food healthier; meatloaf was on the top of my list.  You don’t have to have an air cooker to make your meatloaf this way.  A broil pan and a rack that fits inside will work perfectly.

Traditional Meatloaf Recipe

• Make your meatloaf like you normally would.  Sometimes we have meatloaf from scratch (I use Dee’s recipe) or I’ll just use a McCormick’s seasoning packet.
• Make your meatloaf into a loaf and place on the rack which is in the pan.  I’ll split ours into two or three loaves because my guys love the darker crispy edges.

• Follow your baking instructions.
  • If your using an air cooker, only cook it for 40 minutes, top with your favorite ketchup mixture and cook an additional 5 minutes.
  • If your baking in an oven check to see if it is done after 50 minutes (internal temp should be 160).  If it is close, but not yet add your topping and cook 5 minutes more.
• Baking time may very depending on your oven and the size of your loaf.