Wanting to put a tasty Italian spin on a classic meatloaf, I started developing this recipe by listing some of my favorite Italian ingredients. Tomatoes, Italian sausage, fresh fennel, garlic, Pecorino cheese and balsamic vinegar came to mind. And thus my Italian Meatloaf was born. In the meatloaf base itself I decided on a combination of ground turkey Italian sausage and ground chuck; added into those meats was a saute of garlic, onions and fresh fennel flavored with a touch of fennel pollen. Next came Pecorino cheese, one egg, Panko breadcrumbs and Italian parsley. For a touch of sweetness I added about 1/4 cup of organic ketchup… and for the glaze? A mixture of store-bought balsamic glaze and ketchup for a sweet yet tangy finishing touch. To make the plate beautiful and to round out my tomato craving, I like serving my Italian Meatloaf with roasted San Marzano cherry tomatoes and some torn, fresh basil.
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Italian Meatloaf
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. turkey Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 1 lb. ground chuck
- salt and pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 fennel bulb, stems and fronds removed, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel pollen (optional)
- 1 large egg, room temp
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
- 1/2 cup organic ketchup
- For the glaze:
- 1/4 cup organic ketchup
- 2 Tablespoons balsamic glaze, store bought or homemade
- For the plate:
- fresh basil
- roasted cherry tomatoes–in olive oil, with pinch of salt and pepper
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large saute pan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in the garlic, onion and fennel; season with ½ teaspoon of salt and a big grinding of black pepper. Sauté for 5-7 minutes or until the veggies are tender. Allow the veggies to cool for 5 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl combine the two meats, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, the Panko, egg, parsley, and the ½ cup ketchup. Add in the cooked veggies and mix it all together with your hands until well combined. Form into a loaf-shape and place in a high-sided baking pan. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small bowl and spread with a spoon on top of the meatloaf.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 1 ½ hours, or until the internal temp reaches 160 degrees. Slice and serve warm with fresh basil and the roasted cherry tomatoes.
Tagged: balsamic glaze, basil, cherry tomatoes, egg, fennel, fennel pollen, garlic, ground beef, ground chuck, Italian, Italian meatloaf, Italian parsley, Italian sausage, Italy, ketchup, meatloaf, onion, panko, pecorino cheese, roasted tomatoes, turkey Italian sausage
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