Instructions:
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over med. high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes, remove from heat. In a large bowl, add the meats, onion and peppers along with all remaining ingredients reserving 3/4 C. mozzarella cheese for topping. Now, dive in there with the best tools God gave you, your hands and combine everything really good. Once it has all come together, place and mold the mixture in a baking dish of your choice. I used my oval Portuguese stoneware for ours. Spoon 1/2 to 3/4 C. of the marinara sauce on top and spread around. Place in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle a little dry basil over the top. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Make sure the meat is not pink before serving, baking time will vary depending on the thickness of your loaf. Mine was about 2″ thick.
Tips:
- If serving with mashed potatoes, you might warm up some additional marinara sauce for serving.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked meatloaf can be frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to serve, defrost it in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat it in a 300°F oven until hot in the middle.
- Let the meatloaf refridgerate: after shaping and wrapping the meatloaf put it in the fridge for 30 minutes. This helps keep it’s shape and chills the cheese before going in the oven.
- Seal all the cracks: it is very important to spend a minute or two sealing all the cracks around the meatloaf with your hands. This will prevent the cheese from leaking out.
- Ground beef : Try to choose lean ground beef so there is less fat in your meatloaf. You can also make a 50-50 mix of mild Italian ground sausage for even more Italian flavor.
- Garlic: I used fresh garlic but you can substitute it with garlic powder. If you use fresh garlic, the quickest way to mince it is with a or
- Tomatoes: I used Roma tomatoes for the meatloaf because of their low water content, but you should be able to use other types of tomatoes since we cook them anyway.
- Parmesan: We use finely grated parmesan because it mixes well with the ground beef.
- Mozzarella cheese: You can also substitute mozzarella cheese with a blend of Italian cheeses.
- If you don’t have a loaf pan, any other baking dish will do. An 8×8 or 9×9 pan will also work. You’ll just have to adjust the baking time, as these pans are shallower and wider than a traditional loaf pan, and the baking time will probably be a little shorter.
- Don’t worry if it looks like there’s a lot of liquid in the meatloaf pan during baking. More moisture means your meatloaf won’t dry out! If there is any liquid left in the pan after baking, let the meatloaf sit for 5-10 minutes. You can then discard it if you wish, but I usually leave it in the pan.
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