Italian Mini Meat Loaves With Mac And Three Cheeses Recipes

ITALIAN MINI MEATLOAVES MACARONI AND THREE CHEESES

Steps:

• Mini Meat Loaves:.
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Place meat in bowl. Make a well in meat. Fill well with egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, peppers, onions, garlic, tomato paste, salt and pepper.
• Mix meat and breading and form four individual oval meat loaves, 1" thick.
• Coat loaves with extra virgin olive oil and arrange on a baking sheet. Roast 18-20 minutes.
• Macaroni and Cheese:.
• Put a large pot of water on to boil for pasta.
• When the pasta water boils, salt water and add pasta. Cook until slightly undercooked-pasta will continue to cook when combined with cheese sauce.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in a saucepan and add flour. Whisk in milk.
• Bring to a bubble and thicken milk for 2-3 minutes.
• Add cheeses (cheddar, asiago, and Parmesan) and black pepper. Stir to melt cheeses.
• Drain pasta and combine with melted cheese sauce and transfer to a baking or casserole dish.
• Place bread crumbs in a bowl and add EVOO and herbs to bread crumbs. Top pasta with bread crumbs.
• Place under a broiler and brown bread crumbs. (If you do not have a separate broiler, place in oven with meatloaves for last few minutes. I did this and it turned out fine.).

CHEESE-STUFFED MINI MEAT LOAVES

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In large bowl, stir bread crumbs and 1 cup of the cooking sauce until well mixed; let stand 5 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, cut twelve 1/2-inch pieces from cheese sticks (store remaining portion of cheese stick for another use). Set aside. Add beef, egg, green onions, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to bread crumb mixture until well mixed.
• 3. Spray 12 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray. Divide beef mixture evenly among cups (cups will be very full). Push 1 piece of cheese into center of each loaf. Place muffin pan on cookie sheet to catch any spillover. Bake about 30 minutes or until thermometer inserted in center of loaves in middle of muffin pan reads 160 degrees F (outer loaves will be done sooner).
• 4. Meanwhile, heat remaining sauce until hot. Immediately remove loaves from muffin pan; spoon heated sauce over loaves.
• *Regular mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, can be substituted.

INDIVIDUAL MEAT LOAVES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium (10-inch) saute pan. Add the onions, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until tender but not browned. Off the heat add the Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and tomato paste. Cool slightly.
• In a large bowl combine the ground meats, the onion mixture, breadcrumbs, and eggs and mix lightly with a fork. (Don't mash the mixture or the meatloaf will be too dense.) Divide the mixture into six (10-ounce) portions and place them on the prepared sheet pan.
• Squeeze ketchup in a zigzag pattern on top of each meatloaf. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the internal temperature is 155 to 160 degrees. Serve hot with a garnish of thyme.