The ability to make meatloaf without turning on the oven would open up a new list of foods to my summer cooking list, so when I saw this at A Year of Crockpotting,
I knew I would give it a try. Meatloaf in the Crockpot technique adapted from A Year of Crockpotting Your favorite meatloaf recipe 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup quick oats 2 tablespoons minced onion 2 tablespoons minced celery 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon ketchup 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup (or less) milk Ketchup for garnish on top of meatloaf Combine all ingredients, except milk. Add milk, a little at a time, until it is a smoother consistency, but not goopy.
You can use a 6 quart crock with a meatloaf pan inside it, or if your meatloaf pan won't fit, use a 4 quart and put the meat directly into the crock. (which is what I did) Spray the crock with non-stick spray, and either put your meatloaf pan or meatloaf itself into the cooker.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6-8. Let the meat sit for about 30 minutes before you slice and serve. I cooked mine on Low for 3 hours 30 minutes, and the temp was at 170, so I turned it off and let it set for about an hour, until we ate after 5:30. The verdict? This worked really well. The meatloaf ended up resting in the crockpot for almost an hour, so it was the perfect consistency to remove from the crock and slice on a cutting board. My husband said it was the best meatloaf he's ever had, which of course, is the best compliment I could ever ask for. I don't know what percentage fat my meat was because it was from my local farm, but it must have been pretty lean, because I didn't have a lot of fat floating. This was great for leftovers the next day, so it's a great technique that I'll use again.
