Italian Meatloaf

by Pam on October 8, 2012

I was craving meatloaf so I decided to try a new recipe from Michael Chiarello^[1] instead of my usual meatloaf^[2] recipe.  I found this recipe for an Italian meatloaf that looked and sounded terrific.  It was very easy to put together, it smelled amazing while it baked, and it turned out really moist and tender.  We all liked the meatloaf and it paired well with potatoes & greens I served with it (recipes to post soon).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a loaf man with cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms to the skillet.  Cook, stirring often, until tender; about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.  Remove from the heat and let them cool.

Combine the ground beef with the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, and balsamic vinegar along with the onion mixture.  Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; combine gently with your fingers until evenly mixed – be sure not to over mix.  Pack the mixture into the loaf pan.  Spread the marinara sauce evenly over the top of the loaf.

Place into the oven and bake for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees.  Remove from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Print^[3]

Italian Meatloaf

Yield: 8

Prep Time: 15 min.

Cook Time: 60 min.

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutues

Ingredients:

2 tsp canola oil
1/2 sweet yellow onion, finely diced
2 baby bell peppers, finely diced
3 button mushrooms, finely diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
3/4 cup of Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
1 cup of marinara sauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat a loaf man with cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers, and mushrooms to the skillet. Cook, stirring often, until tender; about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let them cool.

Combine the ground beef with the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, basil, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, and balsamic vinegar along with the onion mixture. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; combine gently with your fingers until evenly mixed – be sure not to over mix. Pack the mixture into the loaf pan. Spread the marinara sauce evenly over the top of the loaf. Place into the oven and bake for 1 hour or until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reaches 160 degrees.

Remove from the oven and let the meatloaf rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Adapted recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net
Original recipe by Michael Chiarello

References

1. ^{^} Michael Chiarello (www.foodnetwork.com)
2. ^{^} meatloaf (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
3. ^{^} Print Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)