Since Audra shared this recipe with me a few weeks ago, I have made it three times! It is that good! I have a go-to rmeatloaf recipe that I have always enjoyed from my Aunt Dorothy; but this one has an Italian flavor. Maybe it’s because Victoria is spending the month of May in Italy that I seem to want Italian lately…
If you are looking for a delicious meal, I recommend:
Audra’s Picarello’s Italian Meatloaf
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground mild Italian sausage
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 C. chopped bell pepper
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. parsley
1 egg, beaten
3/4 C. Italian bread crumbs
1 T. milk
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese, reserve 3/4 C. for topping
1/4 C. parmesan cheese
1 C. marinara sauce, plus 1/2 -3/4 C. more for topping
Salt and Pepper to taste
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium 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 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. 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.
I served a side of Roasted Cauliflower tonight:
1 head cauliflower, sliced
Baking stone
Pam spray
Olive oil
Sea Salt
Other spices you may like (garlic, pepper, etc) – tonight I used Italian!
Rinse, dry and slice the cauliflower. The best way to describe how I slice it, is to say that the slices look like trees. (See picture above)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Spray your baking stone with Pam.
Arrange the cauliflower on the stone in a single layer.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Add salt and any other spices you would like.
Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Enjoy!
