Italian Meatloaf

A couple of weeks ago, Rick and I were talking about what to do for dinner, and he said that we should try doing meatloaf.  I've never made meatloaf before so I figured that it would be kinda cool to try out.  I decided to try this recipe from foodnetwork.com.  I made some changes which are reflected in the recipe below.  We paired it with mashed potatoes.  It turned out wonderfully, and it was definitely the best meatloaf that both of us have ever had.  Can't wait to have the leftovers tomorrow for lunch!

Here's what we did....

Italian Meatloaf

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 red pepper, seeded, small diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 6 cheese blend

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.

When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together except for the marinara. Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pack the meat mixture into a loaf pan, if you do not have a loaf pan, form the meat mixture into a loaf shape on an oiled oven tray or baking dish.

Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 155 F in the middle of the meatloaf. Top the meatloaf with the marinara sauce, and then put it back in the oven to broil for around 5 minutes (or until it is about 160 F). 

Remove from the oven, sprinkle a little 6 cheese blend on top, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Enjoy!