Italian Meatloaf
Solve the weekly dinner doldrums by sprucing up an old time classic. This Italian Meatloaf is like a giant meatball topped with cheese!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef 85/15%
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 small yellow onion minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons torn fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, milk, bread crumbs, parmesan, eggs, onion, garlic, salt, pepper, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, dried basil, red pepper flakes, and parsley until well-combined. Make sure not to over-mix or else you'll end up with a dry meatloaf. Mix by hand until everything is just evenly distributed.
- Pour half of the marinara sauce into a 9x13 baking dish, spreading it out into an even layer. Shape the meat mixture into an oval loaf and place it into the pan on top of the sauce. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes.
- Carefully remove from the oven, uncover and top the meatloaf with the remaining marinara sauce. Top with the mozzarella cheese and return to the oven, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before garnishing with fresh basil and then slice and serve. Enjoy!