Meatloaf is a meat ish consisting of seasoned ground meat (usually ground beef or a combination of ground beef with veal, lamb, or pork), which is formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on an ordinary baking pan. During the Great Depression it was popular to add cereal grains to the meatloaf to stretch the meat; the tradition lives on with the merits of producing a lower-fat dish with superior binding and consistency. It is normally served warm as part of the main course, but can also be found sliced as a cold cut.