How to Make Italian Style Meatloaf

This meatloaf recipes has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #divinefromthevine #CollectiveBias

There's something about a great meatloaf that takes you back home. Gathering around the family dinner table, sharing sides, the simple stories about your day. This delicious spin on a classic will help you create new family moments. Italian Style Meatloaf is created with wholesome ingredients and features a signature tomato garlic sauce and melty mozzarella.

Italian Style Meatloaf...Mama Mia!

I've been wanting to share a meatloaf recipe with you for a long time. But I didn't want it to be just any meatloaf. I wanted delicious. Amazing. Different.

My friends and I were recently talking about food (a hot topic), and my best friends Suzy and Sherry were telling me about how their mom used to make the best meatloaf. She would stuff it with cheddar cheese and it was their favorite meal. That conversation inspired me to create my own version.

So how about stuffing it with mozzarella instead of cheddar? And instead of plain breadcrumbs or oats for the meatloaf binder, how about seasoned Italian?

Of course, when I think Italian, I immediately dream of rich, irresistable tomato sauces. To make this dish truly special, the meatloaf is topped with a homemade garlic tomato sauce made with Hunt's San Marzano Style Tomatoes.

Homestyle meals don't have to take hours to make. Just grab a can or two of Hunt's San Marzano Style tomatoes for real tomato goodness. Made in California, these stewed tomatoes have a thicker juice. This makes them perfect for sauces like the one we are making to top our hearty meatloaf.

You can find the San Marzano Style tomatoes at your local Walmart in the canned goods section near other canned Hunt's tomato varieties

Ingredients Need to Make This Meatloaf Recipe:

• Hunt's San Marzano Style Stewed Whole Tomatoes
• Lean ground beef
• Onion
• Bell pepper
• Eggs
• Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• Mozzarella cheese
• Olive oil
• Garlic
• Flour
• Dried basil - or Italian herb blend
• Salt + pepper

For the best results, select fresh, lean ground beef. This recipe takes 2 pounds and serves 8. You can use half beef and half ground pork if you'd prefer. You an also cut this recipe in half for a smaller loaf.

This combination of ingredients creates a tender, flavorful, and moist meatloaf that is so good. We used the San Marzano style tomatoes inside the meat mixture, too. T

San Marzano Style tomatoes are only made with all natural, simple ingredients. Plus they are steam peeled and Non GMO Project verified. This means you can trust what you are using in your recipes and feeding your family.

TIP: To make preparation a breeze, have your ingredients chopped and ready to go before starting. This recipe can also be made ahead of time. Make the loaf, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you are ready to bake.

My family loves a great meatloaf and I was excited about serving them this Italian inspired version. The great part is this dinner was so easy to make with simple ingredients. Nothing fancy. Just good, honest food.

How to Make Italian Style Meatloaf:

1. First, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Next, dice enough of the whole stewed tomatoes to make 1 cup (drained). Reserve the remaining tomatoes and juice for later.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, diced tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Use your hands to mix the meatloaf until the ingredients are distributed evenly.
4. Shape HALF of the meat mixture into a loaf in a baking dish. Flatten the loaf and create an indention lengthwise down the center of the meat.
5. Then cut the block mozzarella and fit it into the "well" created in the loaf. Take the remaining meat mixture and place it on top of the bottom half, shaping it into meatloaf form. Be sure to seal the beef around all edges so the cheese does not escape while baking.
6. Place the meatloaf in the oven and bake uncovered for 1 hour.
7. While the meatloaf is cooking, prepare the tomato sauce. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil to medium low. Add the sliced garlic and slowly simmer until the garlic is golden brown, about 4 minutes.
8. Next, stir the flour into the garlic and oil. Cook and stir for 3 minutes until smooth and bubbly. Slowly stir in the remaining tomatoes. Break up the larger tomato pieces using a spoon. Add the dried Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Reduce heat to low and simmer the tomato sauce until thickened.
10. When the meatloaf is done, top with a portion of the tomato sauce and the shredded mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven for 5 – 10 minutes until the cheese is bubbly.
11. Finally, remove meatloaf from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with additional tomato sauce.

TIP: Make the sauce while the meatloaf is in the oven. This gives it plenty of time to slow simmer and develop wonderful depth of flavor.

More Recipes You Might Like:

Tennessee Tomato Gravy

Poor Girl's Okra + Tomatoes

Cheesy Onion Steak Sandwiches

When forming the loaf, it is important to seal the edges so the cheese doesn't escape when it melts.

Also, don't skip the sizzling garlic. Infusing the olive oil with golden garlic is the first step to an amazing tomato sauce.

Once the garlic is sizzling and golden, whisk in just a bit of flour. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the mixture is smooth and bubbly. The reason for this is because you want to cook the flour in the garlic-infused olive oil. Then when you add the San Marzano Style tomatoes, magic happens!

What I love most about San Marzano Style tomatoes is they have a robust, hearty texture that adds so much flavor to all of your tomato dishes. These tomatoes will elevate any home-cooked recipe, like this Italian Style Meatloaf.

Be sure to let the meatloaf rest for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven. This gives the cheese a chance to set up. No worries, once you slice into it, the gooey goodness is amazing.

I served with Italian Style Meatloaf with a salad and toasted garlic bread to make a wonderful weeknight dinner. This recipe makes 8 servings, so you may have some leftover for lunch, too.

Isn't it gorgeous? We can't wait until you taste it for yourself!

Don't forget to grab this limited time Ibotta offer to earn cash back on your next purchase of Hunt's San Marzano Style Tomatoes at Walmart.