How Panko Improves Meatloaf's Texture

• Panko are fluffier and more coarse than other kinds of breadcrumbs, helping to both extend the ground meat and give it more nuanced texture. Breadcrumbs and eggs function as binders in meatloaf, allowing the ground meat to "set up" while it's cooking. Without these binders, the loaf is likely to crumble as it cooks or to fall apart during cutting and serving, even when cooled beforehand.

Panko 101

• Panko, meaning "small pieces of bread" in Japanese, is a staple ingredient on Japanese restaurant menus, but its frequent and widespread use belies its recent birth. Created during World War II, panko came about when the Japanese needed a way to cook large amounts of bread without heated ovens. They developed a means to cook yeast-risen wheat bread dough using electricity. The result was white bread devoid of crusts, with a moist crumb that resists absorbing oil and grease during frying.

Other Uses for Panko When Making Meatloaf

• Improve your meatloaf's outer crust by spreading an herb-panko mixture over it before baking. To make the mixture, combine herbs like thyme or rosemary, some salt and pepper and garlic and butter. Or, prep cold, leftover meatloaf slices using a three-step breading process: flour, egg and panko. Fry each slice over medium-high heat, about one minute per side.

Tips for Making Great Meatloaf

• Resist the urge to over-mix meatloaf ingredients. Doing so compacts the meat, forcing out moisture. To avoid over-mixing, combine all the ingredients in your recipe save the meat. Then add the meat and mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Baking meatloaf in loaf pans ensures the meatloaf stays moist. Alternatively, cover the meatloaf with sliced bacon, which automatically bastes the loaf during its time in the oven. Remove the bacon strips and pour off any fat 15 minutes before the end cooking time to develop a good crust.