Italian Meatloaf takes the wonderful flavors of my grandmother’s Italian meatballs and combines them with a traditional meatloaf recipe for a new dish your family will love.
Recently when I was testing my Crockpot Meatballs, I realized that my grandmother’s recipe for Italian Meatballs would work perfectly as a meatloaf. I already knew that my kids loved the flavor of them, and I decided that a meatloaf would be even easier to make.
To be clear, meatloaf is not an Italian dish. So this would be better named “Italian Inspired Meatloaf.”
This easy to prepare recipe is total comfort food. The flavors are tried and true and topping it with our easy homemade spaghetti sauce and some mozzarella puts it over the top.
How to Make Italian Meatloaf
This is a brief overview of how to make this delicious recipe. For the full recipe with all of the instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Start by making a panade. A panade is bread that has been soaked in milk or water and is used to keep meatballs especially tender. My grandmother always used water, and in testing, I prefer that over milk. Allow the bread to soak for five minutes before ringing it out.
- Combine the remainder of the ingredients. In a large bowl combine the ground beef, ground pork, egg whites, panade, bread crumbs, grated Parmesan, garlic, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. Mix until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Form the mixture into a loaf. You can just do this with your hands. It doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Bake the meatloaf. Place the loaf in a baking dish and top with spaghetti sauce. Bake for 55 minutes. Top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 more minutes. Check the meatloaf with an instant read thermometer. It should reach 160 degrees before you take it out.
- Let rest. Allow the meatloaf to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
Making Panade
As mentioned above, a key element in my grandmother’s meatballs was her panade. Many recipes call for milk, but my grandmother used water. I suspect this was for budget reasons, though some have said that water helps the gluten bind better to the fat in the meat.
To make the panade, place 4 slices of Italian bread (generic white bread will work in a pinch) in a small bowl. You can use sandwich bread labeled Italian bread from the grocery store or you can slice a loaf of Italian bread from the bakery. Either way, you want 5 ounces.
Let the bread soak for 5 minutes. At the end of the five minutes carefully drain the bowl. Then pick up the wet bread and squeeze the remaining moisture out by making a ball between your hands.
Break up the mixture with your fingers and add it to the rest of the ingredients.
Sauce
For this delicious meatloaf we are using some homemade spaghetti sauce. It gets mixed into the meat mixture and also tops the meatloaf. It brings some really great flavor. You could also use my marinara sauce recipe. It is another fantastic option.
Homemade Spaghetti Sauce Recipe
Using Both Pork and Beef
Our traditional meatballs always use a combination of both beef and pork. This give the perfect ratio of fat to meat and lends the best texture and flavor.
Baking Meatloaf
Though we are making a loaf, it isn’t necessary to use a loaf pan. I like just shaping this into a loaf form, and then putting it in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish. It cooks up perfectly and maintains its shape well. Another great option would be a rimmed baking sheet.
When is Ground Pork Done Cooking?
Both ground beef and ground pork are done cooking when they reach an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Because ovens vary, as does the thickness of a homemade meatloaf, we encourage you to buy an instant read thermometer. Using a meat thermometer any time you are making a meat dish is a great way to ensure you cook to doneness without drying it out.
Please keep in mind that ground pork can still appear pink after reaching an internal temperature of 160 degrees. The temperature is more important than the color. I love using the instant-read thermometer linked below to ensure the loaf is cooked to the proper temperature.
Instant Read Thermometer
Freezing Meatloaf
This is a great recipe to make ahead and freeze.
- Simply flash freeze the unbaked meatloaf (without sauce) by placing it on a baking sheet lined with wax paper for a few hours.
- Once frozen, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months.
- When ready to bake, place it (frozen) in a baking dish in a preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Top with sauce and bake for an additional 55 minutes. Top with cheese and bake until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Leftovers
Leftover Italian Meatloaf should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for four to five days. Reheat covered in the microwave or oven.
While the leftovers are great on their own, consider making a meatloaf sandwich with these great leftovers. You could even sandwich it between garlic bread, which would be phenomenal.
FAQ
Meatloaf is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
Yes! Dry parsley will work in this recipe. You just want to reduce the amount to 2 teaspoons.
Our preference for the recipe is ground pork and ground beef, but yes, you could replace them with 1 1/2 pounds of ground turkey or ground chicken. I would opt for higher fat content.
What to Serve with Italian Meatloaf
My preference with a dish like this is always vegetables. But you could serve some pasta with it too. Here are some of our favorite vegetable side dishes.
If you make this Italian Meatloaf recipe or any of my other recipe, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
Italian Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 4 slices Italian bread 5 ounces (141.7 grams)
- 1 pound ground beef I use 85% (453.6 grams)
- 1/2 pound ground pork unseasoned (226.8 grams)
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs (112 grams)
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated (50 grams)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley chopped (or 1 tablespoon dried parsley)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce (59 grams)
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded (113 grams)
- Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a baking dish with cooking spray.
- Soak the bread in cold water for about five minutes, ringing out the excess water and pulling the bread apart with your fingers. (Read a more detailed explination here.)4 slices Italian bread
- Combine the meat, eggs, and parsley in a large bowl. Add the bread. Then add the dry bread crumbs, parmesan, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.1 pound ground beef, 1/2 pound ground pork, 2 eggs, 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 garlic cloves, 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley
- Form the meat mixture into a loaf shape and place in the prepared baking dish. Top with 1/4 cup of spaghetti sauce.1/4 cup spaghetti sauce
- Bake for 55 minutes, top with mozzarella cheese and bake for 15 more minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit using an instant read thermometer. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.1 cup mozzarella cheese
Heather Sloan-Lopez says
Hi I cant wait to make this. My Italian Grandma used to do this all the time and I wish she was still here to show me how she did this. So thank you for always posting such yummy and easy recipes! =
Dorothy says
Love your meatloaf recipe,thanks for sharing
You’re welcome! I hope you enjoy it!
María Teresa Legler says
Hi Lisa,
For some reason your nutrition levels are not showing. Can you please share. Have to calibrate my levels of sodium, etc.
Recipe looks great. Will also want to try your stuffed Italian peppers.
Will try using toaster oven. 104 degrees here in Louisiana.
Thanks for sharing.
Those values are in there now, Maria. I hope you enjoy it!
Diane says
This might sound like a silly question, but you didn’t mention it. If I freeze the meatloaf, do I defrost before baking?
I would assume so because of the baking time, but would like to know from you. Thanks!
Nope, great question! I just clarified it within the post. But you are baking it from frozen with those instructions.
Jon says
I made this last night. My wife and I LOVED it. In fact, I’ll probably try making my meatballs this way. Served it with a side of linguine. Only thing I did different was a little more garlic (4 cloves instead of 2) Only because we love garlic. Thank you for sharing! Excellent!
I’m so glad it was a hit, Jon! This recipe is actually based off my grandmother’s Italian Meatballs, so you absolutely can make it that way too.
Shirley Carr says
delicious
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Judie Caroline Barker says
Ohh my word every single dish looks just fantastic and certainly want to try the meatloaf recipe and definitely with your Italian sauce. Or I’ll ask my son if he would as he’s an amazing cook.
I hope you enjoy it!