This Bread Trick Will Stop Your Meatloaf From Falling Apart

If you feel like your meatloaf is always a bit too crumbly, it could be that you haven't included enough of a binding agent in your meatloaf recipe. A binder — no matter what popular meatloaf binding option you choose — should keep your meatloaf in a loaf, all through the baking process right up until you sit down to eat. Binders often include items like eggs, bread, breadcrumbs, crushed saltines, and other similar options. If you prefer bread as your binding ingredient, you still may find that it's not keeping your meatloaf together as well as you'd like, in which case you'll want to start using this handy bread trick.

When using bread in your meatloaf, you don't want to just use any ol' plain bread, ripped into pieces and mixed into your meaty mass. Instead, you want to take an extra step by soaking your bread in milk. This helps the meatloaf retain its moisture, while helping everything stick together. It's best to break up the white bread first, then add it directly onto your meat, then pour the milk directly on top of that, before mixing it all together.

However, even if you follow these instructions, you could still wind up with a meatloaf that's not as ideally dense as you'd like. Here's a few other mistakes you'll want to avoid. Don't opt for skim milk for your meatloaf. Skim milk just doesn't have the same binding power. Instead, use whole milk or evaporated milk. 

Additionally, you want to let your milk soak into your bread over a long enough period of time. After you add it to your mixing bowl, it's recommended that you let it all sit for five to 10 minutes — don't become overly eager and start mixing away as soon as you add your milk. Then, when you do mix it, be careful not to overwork the meatloaf. You just want to work it hard enough, so that all of the ingredients are combined and holding together nicely in your loaf shape.