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A makeover of a classic Italian meatloaf recipe that my grandmother used to make for family-sized meals. This delicious combination of meat and cheese with mouthwatering ingredients will make you crave more.
Unlike Glazed meatloaf, Italian meatloaf is there to serve you if you want to taste giant meatballs loaded with cheese and seasoned with sauces. This is the best alternative if you don’t have time to make the time-consuming meatballs. You can skip all the rolling and save time by baking the easier and more convenient loaf that can easily be sliced for the presentation.
The Italian meatloaf recipe is not much different from the traditional meatloaf as it has almost the same ingredients. Just like ground turkey meatloaf, it combines beef, bread, veggies, and eggs. These ingredients combine to form a texture that takes your taste buds on a roller coaster of traditional Italian cheesy meals.
Cheese and beef alone don’t serve you the Italian taste as the recipe includes Marinara sauce, mixed Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese. These ingredients give the meatloaf a unique taste that you won’t get in other variations. The best part is that, during lunch or dinner, you can make leftover meatloaf sandwiches with the leftovers.
Planning to make the Italian meatloaf? Try these best non-stick meatloaf pans, simple loaf pans, or mini loaf pans for the best baking experience.
Italian Meatloaf Vs Regular Meatloaf – Which is Better?
When we compare Italian meatloaf with regular meatloaf, there is no significant difference except in the taste and flavor. Both recipes use ground beef with various sauces and other ingredients like Parmesan cheese topped with mozzarella cheese and sauces. It is worth trying as you will experience a unique taste while having the texture of classic meatloaf.
Ingredients For Italian Meatloaf
- 2 ½ lbs lean ground beef
- 1 ounce parmesan cheese finely grated
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded and low-moisture
- 4 slices of white sandwich bread
- 1 Whole eggs
- 1 onion small
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 small bunch of fresh parsley
- 1 medium carrot
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Things to Remember before making Italian Meatloaf
Use Adequate Binder
To make the meatloaf ingredients bind together perfectly, use egg and bread. They help the meatloaf to remain good in shape. Moreover, using eggs and bread helps to keep the meatloaf light. It binds the meat and prevents the meatloaf from getting dense.
Don’t use Mozzarella while Freezing
Serving freshly prepared meatloaf has more taste and feels fresh. However, you can freeze the meatloaf if you plan to use it later. Don’t use mozzarella cheese if you plan to do so. Use the mozzarella when you reheat the Italian meatloaf and bake it for an additional few minutes after topping with the cheese.
Finely Chop the Veggies
Use a food processor to chop the vegetables. When using the food processor, roughly chop the ingredients so they can get chopped finely without any issues. If you opt for hand cutting, ensure finely cut pieces as it add to the texture of the meatloaf. For a food processor, I would recommend going for the Hamilton Beach food processor which is quite impressive in performance, energy efficient, and not much expensive.
How to Make The Best Italian Meatloaf?
Place two racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Set the oven to preheat to 375°F so that it gets ready for baking.
Use a food processor to grind four slices of the white sandwich bread finely. Let the food processor grind it till it turns into finely ground material with the help of the blade attachment. Once done, transfer it to the large bowl.
Add coarsely chopped onion, garlic cloves, coarsely chopped carrot, and celery stalk to the food processor until finely chopped. Add leaves from 1 small bunch of fresh parsley to 1/2 packed cup and finely chopped two tablespoons of leaves followed by refrigeration for garnishing. Transfer the chopped veggies to the bowl of bread crumbs.
Use the box grater to grate the mozzarella cheese into the large holes, about 1 cup, and keep it reserved for sparkling. Similarly, use the small holes of the box grater to grate Parmesan cheese to 1/2 packed cup.
Add ground beef, Parmesan, egg, marinara sauce, kosher salt, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Mix the ingredients with your hands until they combine. Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan and shape it with your hands.
Put the loaf pan in the preheated oven. Let it remain there until cooked through for almost 1 hour and 10 minutes. You can place an Infrared thermometer inserted in the center to get an idea of the instant temperature, and it should register at least 165ºF.
Once the meatloaf achieves at least 160ºF, remove it from the oven. Now carefully drain or spoon off the excess fat in the baking dish. Top the meatloaf with 1 cup of marinara sauce while putting the remaining around the sides. Use the reserved mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it over the meatloaf. Put the oven to broil on high.
Let the cheese turn golden brown and melt by placing it on the upper rack. It will take about 3 to 4 minutes. Now sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top of the meatloaf. Slice the loaf into pieces and serve it with marinara sauce on the top.
Italian Beef Meatloaf With Cheese
Ingredients
- 2 ½ lbs lean ground beef
- 1 ounces parmesan cheese finely grated
- 4 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded and low-moisture
- 4 slices of white sandwich bread
- 1 Whole eggs
- 1 onion small
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 small bunch of fresh parsley
- 1 medium carrot
- 3 cups marinara sauce
- 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Place two racks in the middle and upper third of the oven. Set the oven to preheat to 375°F so that it gets ready for baking.
- Use a food processor to grind four slices of the white sandwich bread finely. Let the food processor grind it till it turns into finely ground material with the help of the blade attachment. Once done, transfer it to the large bowl.
- Add coarsely chopped onion, garlic cloves, coarsely chopped carrot, and celery stalk to the food processor until finely chopped. Add leaves from 1 small bunch of fresh parsley till 1/2 packed cup and finely chopped two tablespoons of leaves followed by refrigeration for garnishing. Transfer the chopped veggies to the bowl of bread crumbs.
- Use the box grater to grate the mozzarella cheese on the large holes, about 1 cup, and keep it reserved for sparkling. Similarly, use the small holes of the box grater to grate Parmesan cheese till 1/2 packed cup.
- Add ground beef, Parmesan, egg, marinara sauce, kosher salt, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Mix the ingredients with your hands until they combine. Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan and shape it with your hands.
- Put the loaf pan in the preheated oven. Let it remain there until cooked through for almost 1 hour and 10 minutes. You can place a thermometer inserted in the center to get an idea of the instant temperature, and it should register at least 165ºF.
- Once the meatloaf achieves at least 160ºF, remove it from the oven. Now carefully drain or spoon off the excess fat in the baking dish. Top the meatloaf with 1 cup of marinara sauce while putting the remaining around the sides. Use the reserved mozzarella cheese and sprinkle it over the meatloaf. Put the oven to broil on high.
- Let the cheese turn golden brown and melt by placing it on the upper rack. It will take about 3 to 4 minutes. Now sprinkle the remaining parsley over the top of the meatloaf. Slice the loaf into pieces and serve it with marinara sauce on the top.
