To prepare your slow cooker for making meatloaf, you’ll want to line it with aluminum foil. This might seem like an unnecessary step, but this is going to make it easier for you to lift the meatloaf out of your slow cooker when it’s ready to serve and eat.
Once you’ve lined your crockpot, make your favorite classic meatloaf recipe. Then, shape the meat mixture into a log and place it in the aluminum foil lining your slow cooker. From here, it’s time to set your slow cooker’s timer and walk away. You can cook meatloaf on either the low or the high temperature setting on your slow cooker. This changes the cooking time, of course. If you cook on high, your meatloaf will be done in 3 to 4 hours. On low, however, meatloaf needs about 6 hours to cook through. Additionally, if you’re making a ground chicken or turkey-based meatloaf, it will take less cooking time for the meat to cook all the way through, approximately 2 hours.
When your slow cooker’s timer turns off, it’s time to check the meatloaf for doneness. Use a meat thermometer to check if the center of the meatloaf has reached at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid food-borne bacteria, per the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
