Italian Meat Loaf

An Italian-style meat loaf of ground beef with soaked bread, onion, parsley and Parmesan, baked, then finished with tomato sauce and oregano. Freezes well before the sauce goes on.

Vegetarian with swapsNo added sugarFreezer-friendly

Contains: milk, egg, wheat. Based on the ingredients as written; check package labels, which can change.

From the recipe book of Sandra Mills, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained cook in our family.

Italian meat loaf topped with tomato sauce and herbs, sliced on a platter
  • Prep 25 min
  • Cook 1 hr
  • Total 1 hr 25 min

Updated

Jump to: Ingredients | Instructions | Tips | Print recipe

Sandra Mills's Italian Meat Loaf uses an old trick for tenderness: bread soaked in water and crumbled into fine pieces. It is mixed by hand with ground beef, onion, parsley, Parmesan and an egg, dotted with margarine and baked, then covered with tomato sauce and oregano for the last 20 minutes.

The loaf can be frozen after the first bake; pour on the sauce and bake it from frozen when you need it.

Ingredients

  • 4 slices of bread (any kind)
  • 3/4 cup of water
  • 2 pounds of ground beef
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
  • 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons margarine
  • 1 can (8 ounce) tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon oregano

To make it vegetarian

  • For the ground meat, use a plant-based ground meat, or cooked lentils mixed with finely chopped mushrooms.

Meat substitutes change the flavor, texture and cooking time: cook plant-based meats to the package directions, and tofu and mushrooms only need to brown and heat through. See all our vegetarian recipes.

Instructions

  1. Soak the bread. Pour the water over the bread and let it soak for 15 minutes. Crumble the moist bread into fine pieces with your hands.
  2. Mix. Combine with the onion, parsley, beef, cheese, egg, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly using your hands.
  3. Shape and bake. Shape into a loaf and place in a baking pan with sides. Dot with margarine and bake at 350°F for 40 minutes.
  4. Sauce. Pour the tomato sauce over the loaf, sprinkle with oregano and bake 20 minutes longer.

Budget-friendlyVegetarian with swapsNo added sugar

Tips

  • To freeze: cool it quickly, pack it in airtight containers or freezer bags, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat to 165°F.
  • Sandra's freezer tip: freeze the meat loaf after the first 40 minutes. To serve, pour the sauce and oregano over the frozen loaf and bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes.
  • The typed page reads "1/4 t" with the word missing; her method calls for salt and pepper, so it is the pepper.
  • Ground beef should reach 160°F in the center.

Printable: safe cooking temperatures chart (PDF).

Serve it with

Build the whole dinner: sides, sauce and dessert ›

Pairs with: Zinfandel or Syrah, or an amber ale. Wine pairing guide

More beef and steak recipes

All beef and steak recipes | All recipes | Cooking guide and safe temperatures