Italian Style Meatloaf – Meatloaf

My Italian Style Meatloaf – Polpettone, is classic comfort food at its finest. Made with Italian staples like pancetta, basil, and Parmesan, they taste like giant meatballs seasoned to perfection in a creamy marinara-style tomato sauce.

Ingredients

• Bread crumbs
• Milk
• Olive oil
• Pancetta
• Onion
• Garlic
• Carrot
• Celery
• Ground beef (minced)
• Basil
• parmesan cheese
• Oregano
• Egg
• Salt
• Black pepper

Marinara/pomodoro sauce in Italian meatloaf

To keep with the Italian theme, I topped the bread with Homemade Marinara Sauce. Be sure to save more for sprinkling on top of the minced meat slices. It’s like a classic Italian sauce!

You can use any of your favorite pasta sauces to top the bread before baking, which will create a flavorful crust as it cooks. When tomatoes are in season, try making your own Roasted Tomato Sauce for a brighter, fresher taste.

What is polpetton?

An Italian dish that is essentially a large meatball, often compared to minced meat. Served as a main course.

• An Italian dish that is essentially a large meatball, often compared to minced meat. Served as a main dish.
• Polpette = small meatballs
• Meatballs = mini meatballs
• Polpettone = one large meatball (meatloaf style)

Immersion bread or breadcrumbs in milk

Making panadae is an important step that must be done before adding breadcrumbs to the meat mixture. Soaking them in milk softens the breadcrumbs, allowing them to incorporate perfectly into the mixture and helping keep the meatballs tender, moist, and light, rather than dense or dry.

This is a beef mince made with carrots, celery, onions, and garlic. I find it best to partially cook vegetables before adding them to raw meat, as they won’t cook completely when grilled.

Herbs in minced meat

Fresh or dried herbs are an easy way to add flavor to ground beef. For this recipe, I used fresh basil, but rosemary, thyme, or parsley would also work—use your favorite.

Boiled eggs

In many classic Italian recipes, especially old or regional ones, polpettone is filled with hard-boiled eggs, often placed whole in the center before baking or poaching. When sliced, you get a distinctive cross section with an egg in the middle—very traditional and very Italian.

In fact, I have a recipe for a Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich—think meatloaf breakfast.

Ground beef

I usually use ground beef for my meatloaf recipes. In other recipes, such as pork, apple and sage meatloaf, I use ground pork. You can also use ground turkey or chicken, or combine beef and pork—and sometimes veal—for added flavor and tenderness.

Pancetta

Adds great flavor to plain meat. If you can’t find it, mortadella is a good substitute (which is what I use in my Polpette recipe).

How to keep your minced meat from drying out

Use beef with a higher fat content. Minimum 15% fat, because fat also has flavoring properties. Another meatloaf tip – don’t overcook! Use a meat thermometer to check that the internal temperature has reached no less than 165°F/75°C.

Getting the right level of moisture in the ground beef is a balancing act. Too much liquid will crumble, if not enough it will dry out, so keep this in mind.

Another minced meat recipe

Tips for success

• Don’t miss the panade
  Soak the breadcrumbs in milk before mixing. This keeps the mince tender and prevents it from becoming dense or dry. Use the same mixing bowl, then add the remaining ingredients.
• Handle gently
  Stir until combined using a fork. Excessive mixing will make the meat dense and produce a tough texture.
• Season well
  Meatloaf requires more seasoning than you might think. Salt, pepper, aromatics and cheese all help build the flavor.
• Let it rest
  Let the meatloaf rest for 10–15 minutes after baking so it holds together when slicing.
• Use a thermometer
  Meatloaf cooks at 160°F (71°C). This ensures it cooks without drying out.
• Drain off excess fat
  If necessary, carefully pour off any remaining liquid or fat halfway through the baking process to avoid greasy bread.

If you have made my Italian Style Meatloaf – Polpettone, please leave a star rating on the recipe. You can also leave me a comment below, or ask a question.