This Italian-Style Meatloaf recipe is a simple weeknight meal that is essentially a giant meatball, but easier to make. This delicious twist on a family favorite has all of the Italian flavors you love mixed in with beef, pork, and veal!
Today I’d like to present you with my newest obsession…this Italian-Style Meatloaf recipe. I didn’t grow up eating meatloaf as it wasn’t very popular in Poland, but we did have a similar dish that wasn’t widely served. I did, however, eat a lot of Italian meatballs when I was a kid. Who doesn’t love a big plate of classic spaghetti and meatballs? With that in mind, I decided to give this classic American dish an Italian twist. The result is nothing short of an amazingly simple weeknight meal!
When I pulled this Italian-Style Meatloaf from the oven, the house smelled incredible. When I cut a bite and tasted it, I was blown away. It was by far the best meatloaf I’ve ever tried. It was so soft and flavorful that even my picky 4-year-old son gave me the thumbs up (the ultimate compliment from him)! That says a lot!
What’s so special about this Italian-Style Meatloaf?
Even though this Italian-Style Meatloaf is similar to Italian meatballs, there are a few differences:
- I used a meatloaf mixture of three different meats: beef, veal, and pork like in the classic American version of meatloaf.
- Marinara sauce was added to the meat mixture. I think that this was a game changer; the meat came out super moist and the flavor was out of this world. Moving forward, I’m pretty sure I will always add marinara sauce to my meatloaf.
Perfect Pairings for this Simple Weeknight Meal:
As mentioned above, this Italian-Style Meatloaf recipe is very versatile. You can serve it a variety of ways:
- The Italian way with pasta and marinara sauce as I did here (that’s how we ate it the first day).
- The American way with mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, green beans, or other side of your choice (that’s how we ate it as leftovers).
- Or you can also use leftovers for sandwiches or an Italian sub.
Most importantly, it’s super easy to make; way easier than meatballs. You just need to mix together a couple of basic ingredients and then either place it in a meatloaf baking dish or shaped into a block, and bake.
This is such a satisfying and simple weeknight meal that is soon to become a family favorite in your house too. I hope you’ll enjoy this amazing Italian-Style Meatloaf as much as my family did.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb meatloaf mixture (beef, pork, veal)
- 1 cup Marinara Sauce (good quality, store-bought)
- 1 cup Italian Breadcrumbs
- ½ cup grated Parmesan Cheese
- ½ cup chopped red onions
- 2 tbsp Italian Parsley, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
- In a large bowl, combine meat, ½ cup Marinara Sauce, Italian Breadcrumbs, Parmesan Cheese, onions, parsley, eggs, and seasoning.
- Mix everything together until evenly combined (do not over mix).
- Either place in meatloaf dish (9x5 inches) sprayed with cooking spray, or shape your loaf directly onto a baking sheet covered with foil.
- Bake meatloaf for 60-70 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160ºF.
- After 40 minutes of baking, spread remaining ½ cup of marinara sauce on top and bake for another 20-30 minutes.
Notes
Home Chef Tips: You can serve this Italian-Style meatloaf with your favorite pasta and marinara sauce or with mashed potatoes, mac & cheese, green beans, or any other sides of your choice.
We hope you love this Italian-Style Meatloaf recipe from SoFabFood Home Chef, Edyta from Innocent Delight, as much as we do. If you love this recipe, be sure to visit our Dinner Section for more like it. For daily recipe inspiration, subscribe to our newsletter, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Pinterest. Enjoy!
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