The Genius Meatloaf Trick We Wish We'd Known About Sooner

There comes a point every year—typically when fall ushers in the crisp, cool-temperature air—I get the urge to loaf as a verb. In the living room, I loaf physically, throwing a big fleece blanket over me, tucking the corners underneath my curled arms and legs to become a warm human bread boule. In the kitchen, I typically make quick and easy loaves, like banana bread , pumpkin bread or Queen Dolly Parton's cinnamon bread . In the savory department, meatloaf is another loaf that screams fall. Slicing into a juicy, savory slab of meat lacquered with a sweet and savory sauce sounds oh-so-cozy.

But if there's one challenge associated with meatloaf (other than dryness ) it's that the eyes eat first, and shaping a perfectly formed meatloaf is easier said than done. You can always use the same loaf pan that you'd use to make your banana bread, but those pans are often too small for a meatloaf recipe. The solution? The next time you buy ground beef for meatloaf, make sure not to throw away the package the meat comes in because it makes a great mold for meatloaf.

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The tub this ground beef comes in makes a great mold for meatloaf
by u/CA_CASH_REFUND in aldi

Why You Should Use a Ground Beef Container to Shape Meatloaf

This tip came to us from a very good part of Reddit, the Aldi community thread, thanks to user CA_CASH_REFUND who shared that the plastic tub container that the ground meat is packaged in can serve double duty as a mold when you need to shape meatloaf prior to cooking.

"After I worked all the ingredients together I put it back in the mold before inverting it onto a foil-lined baking sheet," they said. The user went on to say that the plastic tub is the perfect size for making meatloaf, plus it helps you create a loaf with lots of surface area for delicious browning—not to mention one less dish to clean up!

Related: The Costco Ground Beef Trick We Wish We’d Known About Sooner

Using this method is simple. Just mix your meatloaf mixture, press it into the plastic ground beef tub and press down to set the shape. Flip it over only a baking sheet and bake according to your recipe.

"I actually bought a new loaf pan because I was craving meatloaf but it ended up being too small so I resorted to using the tub the beef came in. So the loaf pan will be reserved for banana bread," commented someone on the Reddit thread.

"Why didn't I think of that??? Great use of the tub, now I'm craving meatloaf, thanks for sharing!" exclaimed another user. That question brings up a great point. Sometimes a trick seems too cheap, too easy and not textbook to be considered worthy of trying. But when cooking ceases to be inspirational and experimental, it loses all its fun.

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