My Mothers Italian American Meatloaf Recipes

MY MOM'S VEGETABLE "MEATLOAF" WITH CHECCA SAUCE

Steps:

• For the sauce:
• In a food processor, combine the cherry tomatoes, scallions, garlic, basil, oil, salt, and pepper. Pulse the tomatoes until they are coarsely chopped, being careful not to puree them. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.
• For the lentil loaf:
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 10 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.
• Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl to cool slightly. Reserve the skillet.
• In the same large skillet, cook the spinach over medium heat until the spinach wilts, about 3 minutes. Drain and let cool slightly. Squeeze the excess liquid from the spinach. Transfer the spinach to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Add to the onion mixture.
• Add the lentils, brown rice, 3/4 cup of the mozzarella, the corn, basil, eggs, egg white, salt, pepper, and 3/4 cup of the sauce to the cooled onion mixture. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan. Arrange the sliced tomatoes in 2 rows over the lentil mixture, covering the top completely. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella and drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil.
• Bake until the loaf is heated through and the topping is melted and starting to brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes. Slice the loaf (still in the pan) into 1-inch slices, arrange on plates, and serve with the remaining sauce.

MOTHER'S MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325.
• Place bread in food processor and pulse until crumbs.
• Place vegetables in food processor pulse until fine.
• Add beef/ meatloaf mixture mix well with a large wooden spoon or using your hands.
• Add egg, 1/2 c ketchup, 2 t dry mustard, salt and pepper combine throughly.
• Place in loaf pan.
• Combine 1/2 c kethcup and remaining dry mustard and brown sugar, brush over meatloaf.
• Cook until thermometer reads 160 about 90 minutes.

MY MOM'S BEST MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a small bowl, mix chili sauce and ketchup. In a large bowl, combine Rice Krispies, onion, green pepper, cheese, egg, salt and pepper; stir in half of the chili sauce mixture. Add beef; mix lightly but thoroughly., Transfer beef mixture to an ungreased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Make a shallow indentation down center of loaf. Spread remaining chili sauce mixture over loaf, being sure to fill indentation., Bake 60-70 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°; use a turkey baster to remove drippings every 20 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

MY MOM'S MEATLOAF RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• In large bowl mix beef, chopped onions, bread and half of the milk with hands.
• Slowly add the remainder of the milk if needed - too much will make the mixture to runny and it won't form the loaf.
• Shape into loaf and place in a glass 8x8 or 9x13 baking dish, I add just a little water to the bottom of the pan.
• Bake at 350* for 45 min, cover the top of the loaf with the glaze and finish baking for 15-20 min longer.
• Let the loaf sit 10-15 min before slicing.

MOM'S MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Combine ground beef, cracker crumbs, tomato sauce, eggs, onion, bell pepper, salt, thyme, and marjoram in a large bowl and mix well. Shape beef mixture into two equally sized loaves. Place both loaves in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. Meanwhile, mix ketchup and corn syrup in a small bowl to make a glaze.
• Remove baking dish from the oven and remove foil. Brush glaze onto the loaves. Return baking dish to the oven uncovered, and continue baking until loaves are no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

ITALIAN AMERICAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the bread cubes in a medium bowl, and pour the milk over them. Let the bread soak until it is soft. Meanwhile, combine the carrots, celery, and onion in a food processor, and pulse to make a fine-textured paste or pestata.
• When the bread is soft, squeeze out the excess milk and put the bread in a large mixing bowl. Mix the pestata, ground meats, scallions, grated cheese, marinara sauce, parsley, salt, and oregano with the bread, using your hands to distribute all of the ingredients evenly. Oil a 10-by-15-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with the olive oil. Form the meat mixture into a loaf in the oiled pan.
• Place in the oven, and bake until browned and cooked through (the center of the meatloaf should read 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer), about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Note
• About dried oregano: I typically like fresh herbs, but in the case of oregano I prefer it dried. However, I do not like the jarred product: I always buy a bouquet of dried oregano, from either Italy or Greece. It comes wrapped in a plastic bag and is easy to handle. Just rub the oregano in the plastic between your hands and shake the loose leaves out from one side. Then wrap the bouquet to seal it, and store in a dry place for next time.
• Oregano is great to flavor sauces, stuffing, in braised meats, and on pizza and focaccia. I even use it when I make myself sunny-side-up eggs with grated Grana Padano.

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.

MY MOTHER'S ITALIAN-AMERICAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Put the beef, veal, and pork into a bowl and kneed them together.
• 3. Pour the milk into a bowl and soak the bread in it, squeezing it into a paste. Add the soaked bread to the bowl with the meat and work them together as though you were kneading dough. Add the cheese, garlic, onion, eggs, oregano, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and knead again until well incorporated.
• 4. Oil a large roasting pan with the olive oil. Form the meat mixture into a large loaf in the center of a roasting pan.
• 5. Stir in the plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1 cup water together in a bowl and pour the mixture evenly over the meatloaf. Scatter the carrots and celery in the pan around the loaf.
• 6. Put the pan in the oven and bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out warm, about 1 1/2 hours. If the loaf begins to look dry while cooking, tent it with aluminum foil. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool slightly.
• 7. Slice the meatloaf into servings, put 1 serving on each plate and spoon pan gravy and vegetables over and around the meatloaf.
• Your Nightly Specials
• You can make the loaf with beef and veal only, or with just beef.
• Lay some raw bacon strips over the loaf before baking. (This was one way my mother made her meatloaf extra special.)
• Add some sautéed mushrooms to the pan during the last 20 minutes of cooking.