Italian Meatloaf
All the soulful flavor of Sunday supper with none of the fuss—meatloaf just got a whole lot more interesting. This Italian Meatloaf is essentially an excellent recipe for meatballs and marinara without any of the hands-on fuss. We started with an intensely flavorful meatball mix—ground beef, Italian sausage, Parmesan cheese, garlic, and oregano—but instead of rolling dozens of meatballs, we just shaped one meatloaf. Mixing in a paste of crushed saltines, eggs, and milk ensured that the meatloaf held its shape and baked up tender and moist. We whipped together a bright, garlicky 5-minute tomato sauce, poured it over the meatloaf in a baking dish, and baked the two together, elevating and enriching both meatloaf and sauce in the process. For a next-level finishing touch, we topped the meatloaf with creamy melted fontina and a sprinkling of fresh basil.
Nutrition Information
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic clove, sliced thin
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon table salt
Meatloaf
- 35 saltine
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 large egg
- 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 4 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (1 cup)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- 1Note: Grate the Parmesan using a rasp-style grater; shred the fontina on the large holes of a box grater. If making our Italian Meatloaf Sandwich, set aside 1 cup of sauce before slicing the meatloaf.
- 2FOR THE SAUCE: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, pepper flakes, and salt. Bring to simmer and cook until flavors have melded, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.
- 3FOR THE MEATLOAF: Spray broiler-safe 13 by 9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil spray. Place saltines in large zipper-lock bag, seal bag, and crush saltines to fine crumbs with rolling pin. Whisk saltines, milk, and eggs together in large bowl. Let sit until saltines are softened, about 5 minutes. Whisk saltine mixture until smooth paste forms. Add beef, sausage, Parmesan, granulated garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- 4Transfer beef mixture to prepared dish. Using your wet hands, shape into 9 by 5-inch rectangle; top should be flat and meatloaf should be 1½ inches thick. Pour sauce over meatloaf. Cover dish with aluminum foil and place on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until meatloaf registers 160 degrees, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1¼ hours.
- 5Remove sheet from oven, uncover dish, and sprinkle meatloaf evenly with fontina. Heat broiler. Broil meatloaf until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- 6Using 2 spatulas, transfer meatloaf to cutting board. Spoon off any excess grease from tomato sauce. Slice meatloaf 1 inch thick. Transfer slices back to sauce in baking dish, sprinkle with basil, and serve.
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