Savory and delicious meatloaf has the flavor of our favorite Italian meatball.
START WITH GOOD INGREDIENTS
I love to cook and I try to use the best ingredients that are available to me. This doesn’t mean that the ingredients are expensive. It just means that I use fresh produce and items like these San Marzano tomatoes. They have been rated some of the best by chefs because of how they are grown and taste. These plum tomatoes have less seeds and are less acidic. Frequently my grocery store has them on BOGO – buy-one-get-one free, so I stock up!
Initially, when I created this recipe it was as a way to use leftover tomato sauce from spaghetti and meatballs. If you ever have leftover sauce, this is a great way to use it for another meal.
Ingredients
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground mild Italian sausage
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 C. chopped bell pepper (I used orange, it was all I had in the freezer)
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1 egg, beaten
3/4 C. Italian bread crumbs
2 slices white bread, crumbled
1 T. milk
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, reserve 3/4 C. for topping
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
1 C. marinara sauce, plus 1/2 -3/4 C. more for topping
How to make it
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over med. high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes, remove from heat. In a large bowl, add the meats, onion and peppers along with all remaining ingredients reserving 3/4 C. mozzarella cheese for topping.
Now, dive in there with the best tools God gave you, your hands and combine everything really good. Once it has all come together, place and mold the mixture in a baking dish of your choice. I used my oval Portuguese stoneware for ours. Spoon 1/2 to 3/4 C. of the marinara sauce on top and spread around.
Place in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle a little dry basil over the top.
Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Make sure the meat is not pink before serving, baking time will vary depending on the thickness of your loaf. Mine was about 2″ thick.
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