Meatloaf is an easy, nutritious meal that even kids enjoy. But I have always disliked how greasy it often is. Recently, however, I found a simple solution to this problem.

Yes, you can buy super lean beef. But this makes for a very dry loaf.

And yes, you can buy special meatloaf pans. But I don't like having kitchen gadgets that are used for only one thing - especially if I can make a multipurpose tool (preferably one I already have!) work just as well. So...I use a wire cooling rack.

I simply place a wire cooling rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet, then place the meatloaf on top of the wire rack. This allows all the fat to drain out of the meat during cooking. The resulting loaf is moist, but not greasy. Perfect!

Just be sure to use a wire rack with a mesh pattern on it. The smaller the mesh, the better. (Large holes in the rack allow meat to drop down onto the baking sheet. If you don't have this sort of cooling rack, they are pretty easy to find - and you will use it for other things, like cooling baked treats and canning jars.

A simple wire rack makes meatloaf grease-free.

I should note that some of the meat will stick to the cooling rack. This is acceptable to me because I can't stand greasy meatloaf. If you want, do as I do and scrape off the bits that stick to the rack - then go ahead and serve them. They don't look tidy, but they taste great.

You can use any meatloaf recipe you like with this method. The recipe below is my family's favorite. It's easy and basic. You can dress it up, if you like, with additional spices or a sauce on top. I usually serve it as is. It's adapted from a recipe I found at Housewife How-Tos.

Easy, Grease-Free Meatloaf Recipe

1/2 yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon of butter or olive oil
1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (90% fat or fattier)
1/2 cup regular oatmeal
1 egg
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons catsup
2/3 cup milk


1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place a wire cooling rack onto a rimmed baking sheet. (For easiest cleanup, you can line the baking sheet with foil first.) Set aside.

2. Place a skillet over medium high heat and melt the butter (or warm the olive oil) in it. Add the onion and saute until translucent.

3. Pour the onion and remaining butter or oil into a large mixing bowl. Add the beef, oatmeal, and egg. Season with salt and pepper. Add the catsup and milk. Mix together with your hands until well blended. If the mixture seems too runny, add more oatmeal, just a tablespoon at a time, until you prefer the texture. If the mixture seems to dry, add just a tablespoon of milk at a time until the texture is right.

4. Shape the mixture into two loaves and place on top of the prepared wire rack. Bake for 60 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of a loaf reads 150 degrees F.

Before baking.

After baking.