Italian American Meatloaf Food

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a loaf pan with cooking spray or parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, toss cubed bread with milk. Set aside for 3-4 minutes to absorb.
• In a large mixing bowl, or the base of a stand mixer, combine fresh bread cubes soaked in milk, finely ground or micrograted onion, garlic Italian seasoning and salt. Mix to combine.
• Add crumbled ground beef and sausage, breaking into small pieces.
• Before mixing, top with Worcestershire sauce, lightly beaten egg, dry bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella and 1/4 cup marinara sauce.
• Blend until just mixed, either using your fingers to toss or putting the stand mixer on low. Too much mixing will make your meatloaf tough, so only mix until barely blended.
• Transfer meat mixture to cooking vessel of your choice, forming into a loaf as you go. You can make it free-form on a rimmed baking sheet, but I prefer using a meatloaf or bread loaf pan. Top with 1/2 cup marinara sauce.
• Bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove and top with remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and another shake of Italian seasoning (if desired).
• Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before cutting and serving. Serve with additional marinara sauce, if desired.
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was!

MY MOTHER'S ITALIAN-AMERICAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Put the beef, veal, and pork into a bowl and kneed them together.
• 3. Pour the milk into a bowl and soak the bread in it, squeezing it into a paste. Add the soaked bread to the bowl with the meat and work them together as though you were kneading dough. Add the cheese, garlic, onion, eggs, oregano, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and knead again until well incorporated.
• 4. Oil a large roasting pan with the olive oil. Form the meat mixture into a large loaf in the center of a roasting pan.
• 5. Stir in the plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1 cup water together in a bowl and pour the mixture evenly over the meatloaf. Scatter the carrots and celery in the pan around the loaf.
• 6. Put the pan in the oven and bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out warm, about 1 1/2 hours. If the loaf begins to look dry while cooking, tent it with aluminum foil. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool slightly.
• 7. Slice the meatloaf into servings, put 1 serving on each plate and spoon pan gravy and vegetables over and around the meatloaf.
• Your Nightly Specials
• You can make the loaf with beef and veal only, or with just beef.
• Lay some raw bacon strips over the loaf before baking. (This was one way my mother made her meatloaf extra special.)
• Add some sautéed mushrooms to the pan during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

ITALIAN AMERICAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the bread cubes in a medium bowl, and pour the milk over them. Let the bread soak until it is soft. Meanwhile, combine the carrots, celery, and onion in a food processor, and pulse to make a fine-textured paste or pestata.
• When the bread is soft, squeeze out the excess milk and put the bread in a large mixing bowl. Mix the pestata, ground meats, scallions, grated cheese, marinara sauce, parsley, salt, and oregano with the bread, using your hands to distribute all of the ingredients evenly. Oil a 10-by-15-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with the olive oil. Form the meat mixture into a loaf in the oiled pan.
• Place in the oven, and bake until browned and cooked through (the center of the meatloaf should read 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer), about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Note
• About dried oregano: I typically like fresh herbs, but in the case of oregano I prefer it dried. However, I do not like the jarred product: I always buy a bouquet of dried oregano, from either Italy or Greece. It comes wrapped in a plastic bag and is easy to handle. Just rub the oregano in the plastic between your hands and shake the loose leaves out from one side. Then wrap the bouquet to seal it, and store in a dry place for next time.
• Oregano is great to flavor sauces, stuffing, in braised meats, and on pizza and focaccia. I even use it when I make myself sunny-side-up eggs with grated Grana Padano.

ITALIAN STYLE MEATLOAF I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and ketchup. Season with Italian-style seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, diced tomatoes and cheese. Press into a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and cover loosely with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven approximately 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

BEST EVER ITALIAN-STYLE MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mix well.
• Press into a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and cover with foil.
• Bake for 1 hour, uncover and pour extra sauce out.
• Return to oven and bake for 5-10 minutes.
• Leave in pan for 10-20 minutes, this will prevent the meatloaf from falling apart when cut.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the garlic. Saute 1 minute and then add the peppers and onions and saute until just soft. Let cool.
• Whisk together the basil, parsley and eggs in a small bowl, and then add the salt and black pepper. Combine the Parmesan and breadcrumbs in another small bowl. Thoroughly combine the meat, herbs and eggs, Parmesan and breadcrumbs, the Worcestershire, vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil together in a large bowl using your hands, making sure not to overmix.
• Pack the meat mixture into an oiled loaf pan, if you do not have a loaf pan, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape on an oiled oven tray or baking dish. Top with the marinara making sure to spread evenly over the top.
• Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F in the middle of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.