Italian Cheese Loaf Recipes

CHRISTMAS APPETISER: ITALIAN CHEESE LOAF

Steps:

• Spray a loaf pan with oil then line with cling wrap with overhang.
• Mix Cheese Log ingredients together. Taste and adjust salt if needed (bear in mind saltiness of crackers you are serving with).
• Scrape into loaf pan and level surface, pressing to remove air pockets. Smaller pan = taller loaf.
• Cover with cling wrap overhang and refrigerate for 4 hours+ (up to 1 week).
• Turn out onto platter, peel off cling wrap.
• Top with sun dried tomato and pour over oil. Garnish with parsley and rosemary sprigs to give it a festive look.
• Best to serve closer to room temp than fridge cold. Serve with crackers! Knives for smearing optional - it's soft enough to scoop with crackers.

ITALIAN CHEESE-STUFFED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in ground beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, pepper, garlic and 1/2 cup of the pizza sauce until well combined.
• On large sheet of foil, shape beef mixture into 12x10-inch rectangle. Top evenly with provolone cheese, roasted peppers and olives to within 1/2 inch of edges. Starting with one 10-inch side, roll up; press seam to seal. Place seam side down in pan.
• Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven; spoon remaining pizza sauce over loaf. Insert meat thermometer so bulb reaches center of loaf.
• Return to oven; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until loaf is thoroughly cooked in center and thermometer reads 160°F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

ITALIAN CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Beat in water and oil until blended. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead for 1-2 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. , Punch dough down; place on a greased 12-in. pizza pan and pat into a 12-in. circle. Brush with salad dressing. Combine the seasonings; sprinkle over top. Sprinkle with cheeses. , Bake at 450° for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

ITALIAN CHEESE BREAD

Steps:

• Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order suggested by the manufacturer.
• Select White Bread or Basic cycle. Start.

ITALIAN MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Combine beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a large bowl. Season with salt and black pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9x5-inch loaf pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 30 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

ITALIAN MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the egg, half of the tomato sauce, bread crumbs, onion and green pepper if desired, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano, salt and pepper. Add beef; mix well. , On a large piece of heavy-duty foil, pat meat mixture into a 14x8-in. rectangle. Sprinkle cheeses to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up, jelly-roll style, starting with a short side and peeling foil away while rolling. Seal seam and ends. Transfer to a microwave-safe glass 9x5-in. loaf pan. , Microwave, uncovered, at 50% power for 9 minutes, rotating a half turn once; drain. Continue cooking on 50% power for 14-16 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, rotating a half turn once. In a bowl, combine the remaining tomato sauce and oregano. Pour over meat loaf. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-1/2 minutes. Cover loosely with foil; let stand 5 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN STYLE MEATLOAF I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, mix together ground beef, eggs, bread crumbs and ketchup. Season with Italian-style seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, diced tomatoes and cheese. Press into a 9x5 inch loaf pan, and cover loosely with foil.
• Bake in the preheated oven approximately 1 hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

EASY ITALIAN EASTER BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, yeast and salt. In a large saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter to 120°-130°. Add dry ingredients; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add eggs; mix well. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. , Turn onto a lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down; turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in fruit, almonds and aniseed until blended. Let rest for 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Shape each portion into a 24-in. rope. Loosely twist ropes together; place on a greased baking sheet and form into a ring. Pinch ends together. Melt remaining butter; brush over dough. Gently separate ropes and tuck dyed eggs into openings. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 40 minutes., Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. For glaze, in a bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired consistency; drizzle over bread. Sprinkle with candies if desired.