Meatloaf splitting badly

[Yachamo]

Hi,

I've tried google, Bing etc trying to find an answer, and have yet to find an answer.

Normally my meatloaf keeps its shape, in a large roasting pan, but lately the crust splits, and doesnt hold together well.

The last meatloaf I made consisted of...

7 pounds of ground beef
6 jumbo eggs
15 oz can of bread crumb
25 oz jar of spaghetti sauce
4 packets of good seasons italian dressing mix (dry)

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, reduce heat to 325 for about 2 1/2 hours total cookiing time.

This worked well in the past, holding together, no splitting

I guess my question really is what causes the splitting? Too much steam building up inside the crust formed from the initial 30 minutes. not enough bread crumb? neither, or both?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

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