Italian Meatloaf

GetVeggiesMeatloaf_2613 Before our youngest daughter decided to eat vegetarian at age 16, she loved meatloaf made according to an old recipe in an 1960’s cook book.  Her older sister detested it.  Now, our oldest daughter loves this Italian-flavored meatloaf and the younger daughter doesn’t eat meat at all.  Go figure.  This Italian meatloaf recipe has been modified from the original in a Cooking Light cookbook.  You can find a current version of their recipe online.

Tomatoes

  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (no oil)
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup ketchup

Fillers

  • 1 cup seasoned croutons, pounded to small bits with a meat hammer or rolling pin
  • 3/4 cup yellow onion, peeled and minced
  • 3/4 cup fresh basil leaves, measured then chopped
  • 2 slices deli-style Provolone cheese (about 1 oz. each), sliced into narrow slivers
  • 2 eggs, egg whites, or equivalent amount of egg substitute
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

Meat

  • 1 lb. extra lean ground beefGetVeggiesMeatloaf_2614

Topping

  • additional ketchup, about 1/3-1/2 cup

Early in the day, or the day before cooking the meatloaf, prepare the sun-dried tomatoes.  Boil the water and pour over the dried tomatoes in a small bowl.  Allow to stand and soak up hot water for 30 minutes.  Drain and chop into small pieces.  Add 1/2 cup ketchup to help retain moisture.

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Combine fillers (breadcrumbs, vegetables) in a large bowl.  Add the softened dried tomatoes and the ketchup that has been keeping them moist.  Mix well with the fillers.  Add the meat and work with your hands until all the meat, tomatoes, and fillers are completely and thoroughly mixed.  (Okay, I have to admit, this is pretty gross so I mix all my ingredients up in a food processor and only touch the meat mixture with gloved hands to shape it into the loaf).

Spray the insides of a bread loaf pan liberally with Pam.  Turn the meat mixture into the pan and shape to form a kind of loaf.  Spread the last bit of ketchup (see topping) all over the top of the meatloaf.  If some goes down the sides, that is okay.  Bake for 1 hour and allow to stand for up to 30 minutes before serving.

I can never get a meatloaf out of the pan in one piece, so I put the entire loaf pan on the table on a trivet, and just slice and serve out one piece at a time from the pan.