🍗 How Much Meatloaf Per Person
Plan cleaner slices, loaf counts, and serving weight for any table
Related: How Many Meatballs Per Person for another crowd-size guide.
| Event | Oz/Guest | Lb/Guest | Best Fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weeknight | 5-6 oz | 0.34-0.38 | Simple dinner |
| Family | 6-7 oz | 0.38-0.44 | Balanced plate |
| Buffet | 5-6 oz | 0.31-0.38 | Shared tray |
| Holiday | 7-8 oz | 0.44-0.50 | Big crowd |
| Slice | Oz/Cut | Loaf Cap | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thin | 3.5 oz | 1.7 lb | Party trays |
| Standard | 4.5 oz | 2.0 lb | Classic cut |
| Thick | 5.5 oz | 2.35 lb | Heavier plate |
| Diner | 6.5 oz | 2.75 lb | Big appetite |
| Blend | Factor | Yield | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% Beef | 1.00x | 78% | Classic texture |
| Beef + Pork | 1.04x | 76% | Richer crumb |
| Turkey | 0.92x | 74% | Lean mix |
| Veggie | 0.84x | 70% | Binder-heavy |
| Setup | Load | Hold | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9x5 Loaf | 2.0 lb | 25-35 min | Family bake |
| Sheet Tray | 3.0 lb | 20-30 min | Buffet service |
| Mini Loaves | 1.0 lb | 15-20 min | Party trays |
| Casserole Dish | 2.5 lb | 30-40 min | Thick slices |
Calculating an amount of meatloaf that is required for a meal requires the use of mathematical planning within a kitchen. Many people who host meal without adequately planning for the meals that will be served find themselves short of having enough meatloaf to serve each guest. The reason that meatloaf often shrinks in size when it is cook is due to the fact that the meat lose both moisture and fat during the cooking process.
Beef typically retain seventy-eight percent of its weight after it is cook. Turkey and vegetable-based meatloafs retain even less of their original weight after being cooked due to the fact that more binder are required to hold the blend together. In order to determine how much meatloaf to prepare for the guests who will attend the meal, it is first necessary to determine how many ounce of meatloaf should be served to each guest.
How Much Meatloaf to Make
For a simple meal that is to be eaten during the week, five to six ounce of meatloaf can be served to each guest. For a family dinner, six to seven ounce of meatloaf can be served to each guest. For a holiday meal, seven to eight ounce of meatloaf can be served to each guest due to the fact that guests at holiday dinners tend to eat more of the meal.
Finally, if meatloaf is to be served as a buffet, the portion size can be smaller for each guest, but you should prepare an extra fifteen percent of meatloaf in case some guest wish to eat seconds. In addition to the size of the portions that will be served, the thickness of the meatloaf will impact the number of meatloaf loaves that need to be prepared. For instance, three and a half ounce slices of thin meatloaf are typically served at a buffet so that each batch of meatloaf can serve more guests.
Six and a half ounce thick slices of meatloaf are typically served for those who would like a hearty meal; however, because thick pieces of meatloaf will serve fewer guests than thin pieces, more meatloaf loaf must be prepared. The type of meat that is used in the meatloaf will also impact the amount of meatloaf that is cook. Meat that contain pork will retain more of its weight during the cooking process due to the moisture that is contained in the pork.
Turkey, however, is a leaner cut of meat that shrinks more during the cooking process than meats that contain pork. Thus, if turkey or vegetable-based meatloafs are used, more of the raw meatloaf mixture must be prepared. Finally, the side dish that are served with the meatloaf will impact the amount of meatloaf that each guest will eat.
If many side dishes are served with the meatloaf, guests will eat less of the meatloaf. If fewer side dishes are served with the meatloaf, guests will eat more of the meatloaf. Thus, the side dishes for the meal should be considered when calculating the amount of meatloaf that is required for the guests.
The pan in which the meatloaf is cook will dictate the amount of meatloaf that can be prepared. A nine by five inch baking pan can hold two pound of raw meatloaf. Thus, a two pound meatloaf can be cut into nine slices of four and a half ounces each.
A sheet tray can hold three pounds of raw meatloaf; however, the meatloaf can dry quick on the sheet tray if it is not carved immediately after cooking. Finally, it is necessary to avoid overfilling the pan with meatloaf mixture. If you overfill the pan with meatloaf, the center of the meatloaf will be raw when the meatloaf is cook while the edges of the meatloaf may burn.
To prepare the meatloaf, certain technique can help to ensure that the finished meatloaf retains the amount of meatloaf that was calculated. For instance, the cook should mix the meatloaf gentle when preparing the meatloaf; mixing the meatloaf too much may result in the meatloaf being tough when it is cook. Additionally, the meatloaf should be chilled for thirty minutes prior to baking to ensure that the meatloaf will remain clean when sliced.
Finally, the meatloaf should be rested for ten minutes after baking; resting the meatloaf allows the juice in the meatloaf to rehydrate so that the meatloaf will not lose its weight when sliced. If the meatloaf loses its juice and sets the meatloaf will become dry.
