Stuffed Italian Meat Loaf

By Beefman-2

Ingredients

• MEAT; LOAF
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs*
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 lb. ground beef; (80% lean)
• 1 lb. bulk mild Italian sausage
• 2 (9- or 10-oz.) pkg. frozen chopped spinach; thawed, squeezed dry
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese; grated
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary; chopped
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 oz. fontina or provolone cheese; cut into 3x1/2-inch strips
• SAUCE
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup carrot; chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup shallots; minced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 (14.5-oz.) can Italian-seasoned diced tomatoes
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Details

Servings 6
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from bigoven.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat oven to 350?F. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook onions 4 minutes or until soft. Add 2 tablespoons garlic; cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. Place in large bowl; cool.

2. Combine bread crumbs and milk in small bowl; let stand 15 minutes. Squeeze and discard excess milk from bread. Add bread and all remaining meat loaf ingredients except fontina cheese to bowl. Gently combine until well-blended.

3. Form half of the mixture into 14x5-inch rectangle on large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange fontina cheese lengthwise down center of meat, leaving 1-inch border on edges. Cover with remaining meat mixture, making sure edges are well-sealed. Plump up loaf with your hands.

4. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 160?F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

5. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Cook carrot, celery, shallots and 1 teaspoon garlic, covered, 6 to 10 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and water; reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon rosemary and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; cook 5 minutes. Puree in blender or food processor, adding additional water if too thick. Serve warm over meat loaf.