Italian Meatloaf

By susanwadle

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound mild Italian sausage
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red or green bell pepper (I recommend red)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup coarse dried bread crumbs, preferably sourdough or Italian (I used Panko Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs)
• Optional: 2 Tablespoons dry red wine (not optional for me!)
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon each of dried basil and dried oregano, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce, divided
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lightly oil a 9 x 5 inch loaf panIn a large bowl, combine beef, sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, bread crumbs, optional wine, egg, Worcestershire, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, Parmesan and 1/2 cup each tomato sauce and mozzarella. Spoon into prepared pan and gently pack down. Bake 45 minutes. Pour off drippings.

Spread remaining tomato sauce on top of the loaf and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. Bake until an internal temperature reaches 160 degrees on an instant read thermometer. The cheese should be melted and the sauce should be bubbling. Let stand 10 minutes, pour off drippings , and remove from pan before slicing.