To Prevent Meatloaf From Drying Out, Try This Brilliant Hack From Ina Garten

Simple to prepare and large enough for leftovers, meatloaf is often one of the first recipes home cooks attempt. Whether you slather the top in ketchup or a tangy marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella, you're aiming for a moist, flavorful result, though that's not always what happens. While there's lots of mistakes that can keep you from the perfect meatloaf, celebrity television cook and author Ina Garten adds a pan of hot water to the oven to ensure her meatloaf comes out moist every time.

A self-taught home cook with years of experience in entertaining guests, Garten offers reams of good advice, from how to make a salad dressing without any extra mess to a pro-tip for super-thin shaved steak. Because of this, we know her keen suggestion for moist meatloaf holds water, quite literally. Adding a pan of hot water to the oven will, in essence, steam the meatloaf, making for a moist and juicy dish. In the heat of the oven, the water will simmer and evaporate, creating a humid atmosphere which will prevent the meatloaf from drying out.

Although Ina Garten's hot water hack is a great way to ensure a moist meatloaf, there are other important factors any home cook should keep in mind. Using the right ground beef blend and other secret weapon meatloaf tricks such as adding milk and letting the meatloaf sit before slicing are all key to keeping it juicy. You can also boost the flavor of your meatloaf by adding a couple of shakes of sriracha or Tabasco sauce, a few slices of bacon, and sauteed vegetables and herbs. Also, what meatloaf would be complete without a generous smear of tangy ketchup on top? Certainly not Ina Garten's!

It won't take long to master the secrets behind a moist, flavorful meatloaf and before you know it, you'll be adding your own unique ingredients and perhaps even create a new family recipe. While it may be a symbol of Depression-era resourcefulness, meatloaf will remain in many hearts and bellies a nostalgic, comforting foodstuff that will likely be served on American dinner tables for centuries to come.