I want to make meatloaf but have no loaf pan, will tin foil work?

Question

Don't laugh....but that is all I have to use. I don't have any baking dishes...they are on order. I want meatloaf bad!

Answer 1

Can you go to the grocery store? If so, go and buy a disposable loaf pan or cake pan, or spend the extra buck and buy a regular loaf pan. Seriously. Foil just won't hold the grease that a meatloaf will produce, and that grease WILL drip into your oven and cause a fire.

Answer 2

You don't need a loaf pan to make meat loaf , actually you don't need a pan at all. However you do need to a make the meat of a consistency that will hold together as a free- form loaf. To make make that consistency you will need to use whole eggs and some kind of bread crumbs.
In order to test the consistency and flavor of the meat mixture:
Bring a couple of cups of unsalted water to a boil & reduce to a simmer
Take a teaspoon of your mixture , poach until cooked thoroughly - check for consistancy and flavor - Adjust ingredients and repeat as needed.
To make the loaf you will need a cookie sheet aluminum foil and plastic wrap
Cover a 2' wide section of your counter top w/ the plastico including going up the backsplash
Tear off a piece of foil about a foot longer than the cookie sheet
Place the foil on the counter top w/ the length of the foil running the length of the counter top
Make sure that the foil sticks up an inch or so higher than the back of the countertop
Hand form a loaf on top of the foil
Push the loaf into the back of the countertop
With two hands grab the foil that is sticking up and pull towards you.
This action willl cause your loaf to roll into a sort of cylindrical shape. Repeat until you have a tight compact loaf. What happens is that the rolling removes the air voids which ultimatley means that your loaf will stay together.
Place loaf and foil on cookie sheet. bake at 350 , internal temp 160 allowing for a 10 degree carryover
have fun

Answer 3

Foil will NOT hold that meatloaf. Don't you have a Pyrex glass dish of some sort, or a pot or pan that will go into the oven? You can just mound it up in a big dish. Just mound it up in the middle adn bake.

If no, you'd better switch to plan B and makemeatballs on the stove top. And hit a thrift store tomorrow to get a baking dish!

Answer 4

A meat loaf can be any shape. Do you have a cake pan? Anything that will go in an oven? You can shape it and put it on a cookie sheet. If tin foil is all you have, make sure you have the sides up high enough to catch all the grease.

Answer 5

You don't need any type of pan to make meatloaf. Just make a free form loaf and bake on al. foil. I don it all the time.

Answer 6

Possibly, but here's another thought...make mini-loaves. About the size of your palm, about 4 oz. Form them into the closest thing to a loaf and bake as normal. Think of it as single serving portions of meatloaf. They'll be reall easy to freeze too, so you can keep them for those lazy cooking days!

I've seen this done a lot in catering, the presentation is neat, and no loaf pan to clean.

Answer 7

If you have no baking dishes, I would suggest hitting your local diner and ordering a meatloaf dinner from them. At least there is nothing to clean up. Cook when your cookware arrives. Good Luck...

Answer 8

I make them (for my meat eater husband) in the shape of burgers (round or even squares). So it's like you get your own individual meatloaf.

But tin foil would work fine. Good luck.

Answer 9

You can use a cookie sheet (if you have one) and just form it into a loaf shape. I do this every time. Or if you absolutely only have foil, I would use heavy duty foil.

Answer 10

NO.. it sounds like u need to get baking pans