It’s been making its way to the top of the list on the web for the last five years. It’s a refreshing spin to one of the most popular American classic that elevates the meatloaf recipe to a fresh level. Our recipe has been adapted of mom’s Classic Meatloaf and stuffed it with mozzarella cheese to create the perfect new recipe that’s a family favorite.
WHY DOES MY MEATLOAF FALL APART?
There are many possible reasons that your meatloaf is falling off the plate. The most frequent reason is that your meatloaf lacks sufficient binding ingredients. To keep your meatloaf together, you can add other ingredients like bread crumbs and eggs since they are the main ingredients that help bind meat together and aid in making the loaf to stay together. Another reason your meatloaf might be falling apart is because it has been cooked too long.
DO I HAVE TO USE MOZZARELLA? CAN I MAKE STUFFED MEATLOAF WITH OTHER TYPES OF CHEESE?
Fresh mozzarella cheese produces an amazing melted cheese center for cheese stuffed meatloaf. It is also possible to use blocks of mozzarella cheese or even shreddedcheese, but be aware that they will not melt as fast as mozzarella cheese balls that are fresh. Alongside mozzarella, you may also play around with other kinds of cheese. Cheddar is the most popular selection, but feel free to play with cheeses like pepperjack provolone, havarti gouda, and many more!
IS IT OKAY IF MY MEATLOAF IS A LITTLE PINK?
Don’t fall for the trap of over-cooking your meatloaf because it has a tiny pink spot. The hue of your meatloaf does not indicate if it’s cooked or if it’s safe to consume. To determine whether your meatloaf has been cooked and safe to consume, you must determine its temperature within. To ensure that ground beef is completely cooked and safe it should attain an internal temperature of 160 F. If your meatloaf appears slightly pink, but it is still at 160 degrees and you’re eating it.
Recipe #1
INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 pounds of lean ground beef
1 cup bread Crumbles
1 teaspoon of dried basil
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Bake at 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish (9×13) using nonstick cooking spray.
A large bowl of mixing mix ground beef, breadcrumbs, basil oregano, parsley salt pepper, milk along with worcestershire sauce. Knead until it is all combined.
Divide meat in half. Then, shape one portion of meat to form the lower of the loaf. Place in the pan that you have prepared. Lay mozzarella slices down the middle, leaving a 1/2 inch of space between the sides and ends. The remaining meat portion should be shaped to form the top of the loaf, securing the edges. It’s a loaf that is free-form, therefore it shouldn’t have to be perfect.
In a small mixing bowl, combine ketchup with the brown sugar mixture, Worcestershire Sauce garlic, red wine vinegar salt, cayenne pepper. Pour half of the mixture over the meatloaf and save the rest to use the future.
Bake in the oven that is preheated for 45 minutes.
In 45 minutes take the loaf out from the oven and pour the sauce left over the bread. The oven temperature should be raised to 400 degrees and bake for another 15 minutes.
Rest 5-10 minutes prior to serving.
Recipe #2
Italian Cheese-Stuffed Meatloaf
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/2 lb of lean (at minimum 80 %) ground beef
2 cups of soft French bread Crumbles
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese (2 1 oz)
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons of dried leaves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Provolone cheese (6 oz)
1 Jar (7.25 oz) Red bell peppers roasted cut, drained, and chopped
1/4 cup chopped olives ripe and ripe
Steps
1
The oven should be heated to 375°F. Prepare a 15x10x1-inch sheet of foil. Spray foil using cooking spray. In large bowl, beat eggs. Add ground beef, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese basil, salt garlic, pepper along with 1/2 cup pizza sauce until thoroughly mixed.
2
On a large sheet of foil, form the beef mixture into a 12×10-inch rectangle. Layer evenly with provolone cheese olives, and roasted peppers to within half an inch of the edges. Starting with a 10-inch long side, roll the other side up and press seams to close. Lay seam-side down on pan.
3
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon rest of the pizza sauce on top of the loaf. Insert meat thermometer until bulb gets to the center of the loaf.
4
Return to oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the loaf is completely cooked to the center and thermometer reads 160 degrees F. Allow to cool 10 minutes prior to cutting.
Nutrition
330 Calories, 21g Total Fat, 25g Protein, 11g Total Carbohydrate, 3g Sugars