Italian Meatloaf
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Think of this Italian meatloaf as one big giant meatball, packed with familiar flavors but on a grander, more satisfying scale.
My family loves this delicious Italian meatloaf that is essentially one big giant meatball, or an Italian version of my classic meatloaf. It’s comforting and satisfying, and the smell of it baking in the oven always lures everyone to the kitchen. I serve it with a big Italian salad and Parmesan smashed potatoes, but it is also delicious with pasta or creamy polenta. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, the meatloaf is even better the next day, sliced and topped with melted cheese in a warm sandwich.
To make the recipe quick and easy, I use a food processor to chop the vegetables. I also cheat and use a good-quality store-bought marinara sauce; the recipe only calls for 3/4 cup, so there is no need to make it from scratch. It’s easy to make two meatloaves, so you might as well—one to freeze and the other to bake straight away.
Table of Contents
“So I made this meatloaf on a whim…My husband and my in-laws LOVED it. I was so proud!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Italian Meatloaf
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by chopping the vegetables. I use a food processor, which makes it quick and easy. Always rough chop the veggies before putting them in the machine, otherwise they won’t chop evenly.
You want to pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped but not puréed — this makes for a nicely textured meatloaf.
Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet and cook the vegetables until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the eggs with the Worcestershire sauce, basil, salt and pepper.
Whisk to combine.
Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, and cooked vegetables.
Mix with your hands until well combined.
Shape the meat into a 9×5-inch loaf on a greased, foil-lined baking sheet. I prefer to “free-form” it rather than cook it in a loaf pan — that way, the fat cooks out and there’s always enough well-browned crust to go around.
Top with marinara sauce, letting a bit drip down the sides.
Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, until cooked through, then scrape away any fat that accumulates around the meatloaf.
Slice the meatloaf and serve.
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Italian Meatloaf
Think of this Italian meatloaf as one big giant meatball, packed with familiar flavors but on a grander, more satisfying scale.
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 pounds meatloaf mix (or use 1½ pounds 85% lean ground beef plus ½ pound ground pork)
- ⅔ cup Italian-style bread crumbs
- ¾ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
- ¾ cup marinara sauce, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Place the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the vegetables are minced. (Alternatively, you can mince all of the vegetables by hand.)
- Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the minced vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Do not brown. Let cool until just warm.
- In a bowl large enough to hold all of the ingredients, whisk the eggs with the basil, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce.
- Add the meat, bread crumbs, cheese, and cooked vegetables to the egg mixture and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
- Form the meat mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf shape directly on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the marinara sauce evenly over top, letting it drip a bit down the sides.
- Bake for 65 for 70 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160°F in the middle of the meatloaf. Let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes. Scrape any fat away from the edges of the meatloaf (it will ooze out and brown while baking), then use a wide spatula to transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board or serving platter. Slice and serve with more marinara sauce on the side, if desired.
- 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. You can also freeze the meatloaf for up to 2 months before baking. Wrap the shaped loaf tightly in plastic wrap, then in foil. Add the marinara sauce after defrosting, when you are ready to bake and serve.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 585
- Fat: 42g
- Saturated fat: 15g
- Carbohydrates: 15g
- Sugar: 4g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 35g
- Sodium: 966mg
- Cholesterol: 180mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Hi,
I baked this meatloaf Tuesday, then put it in the freezer. We plan on eating it Christmas Day. I never froze cooked meatloaf before. Will it still be moist? By the way, took a nibble and it was amazing and made my home smell fantastic!
Hi Rose, Meatloaf freezes beautifully so no worries – it will be fine! Happy Holidays!
My family LOVES this meatloaf. In fact, it is a FAVORITE of my 8 month old daughter (we are doing baby-led weaning with her). Do you have any recommendations for loading it up with other veggies – like cauliflower, zucchini, spinach, etc to make it even more nutritious? About how much more veggies do you think the loaf could handle before it falls apart? Thanks!
This is the best meatloaf ever! My family is always requesting it! If there is any leftover, we like to place it on a toasted hogie roll with extra tomato sauce and cheese.
Hi…I am trying to go gluten free, any recommendations for something to use other than bread crumbs? Thanks in advance 🙂
Gluten-free bread crumbs would work well here. Hope you enjoy!
Thanks Jenn, I ended up using crushed rice crackers and they worked perfectly!
I really liked the addition of the veggies, it was both Yummy and Gluten free – bonus!
We really enjoyed this meatloaf tonight! I paired it with cauliflower/mashed potatoes and a tossed salad and we were very satisfied! Both my husband and I added a sprinkle of salt (we rarely do this), but otherwise every bite was tasty! I did bake mine is a 2-piece meatloaf pan that has a drainer so the fats can be pulled away from the loaf. Probably because of that, it needed an extra 15 minutes in the oven. I will make this again!
The most flavourful meatloaf hands down,followed the recipe exactly,served with mashed potatoes and salad and we made sandwiches with left over the next day, soooooo good!
Julie from Halifax, Canada
This is by far the best meatloaf recipe we have ever eaten. It is so moist and flavorful. With his first bite, my husband proclaimed that this recipe is definitely one to keep and I concur. Simply delicious!!!!
Thank you for your hard work and sharing your undeniable talent with all of us.
This is the best meatloaf I ever made! I used one pound 85 lean and one pound of 90 lean grass fed beef – amazing!
Once again, another great recipe. The Italian Meatloaf was absolutely delicious and my husband loved it.
I’m not a fan of Meatloaf and I have to say this recipe is a really good one. Will definitely be making it again and again.
Thanks,
Suzanne
I previously read that this recipe freezes well. Do you freeze it before or after cooking? And if it’s after then how do you reheat?
You really can freeze it cooked or uncooked, but I usually freeze meatloaf after cooking it. I’d recommend wrapping it in foil before putting it in a freezer bag and then reheating it at 300 degrees until hot in the middle.