Description
Hearty Italian Meatloaf blends classic comfort with Mediterranean zest, promising a flavorful journey through rustic Italian kitchens. Savory herbs, rich tomato sauce, and perfectly seasoned ground meat create a memorable meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat:
- 1 pound (454 grams) lean ground beef
Dry Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup (80 milliliters) bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Herbs and Aromatics:
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil (or 1 teaspoon dried basil)
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Binding and Topping:
- 1 large egg, slightly beaten
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) pasta sauce
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
Instructions
- Prepare oven at 350°F, ensuring optimal cooking temperature for a perfectly balanced meatloaf.
- In a spacious mixing bowl, gently combine ground beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic, seasonings, herbs, egg, half the pasta sauce, and half the mozzarella. Mix thoroughly but delicately to maintain meat’s tender texture.
- Transfer mixture onto a lined baking sheet, crafting a uniform loaf approximately 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 1 inch thick to guarantee even cooking.
- Slide the loaf into preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, allowing meat to cook through completely.
- Remove from oven and lavishly spread remaining pasta sauce across the surface, creating a vibrant layer of flavor.
- Generously sprinkle remaining mozzarella over the sauce, creating a molten cheese topping.
- Return to oven for an additional 10 minutes until cheese transforms into a golden, bubbling crust.
- Extract from oven and permit meatloaf to rest 5 minutes, enabling internal juices to redistribute and intensify overall taste profile.
Notes
- Avoid overmixing the meat mixture to prevent a dense, tough texture, ensuring a tender and juicy meatloaf.
- Keep the loaf shape relatively thin and even, around 1 inch thick, for consistent and faster cooking throughout.
- Consider using lean ground beef or a mix of meats like beef and pork for added flavor and moisture.
- Make the dish gluten-free by substituting breadcrumbs with almond flour or gluten-free breadcrumbs, maintaining the same binding properties.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 360
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 600 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 100 mg