Best My Mothers Italian American Meatloaf Recipe Epicuriouscom Recipes

ITALIAN AMERICAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the bread cubes in a medium bowl, and pour the milk over them. Let the bread soak until it is soft. Meanwhile, combine the carrots, celery, and onion in a food processor, and pulse to make a fine-textured paste or pestata.
• When the bread is soft, squeeze out the excess milk and put the bread in a large mixing bowl. Mix the pestata, ground meats, scallions, grated cheese, marinara sauce, parsley, salt, and oregano with the bread, using your hands to distribute all of the ingredients evenly. Oil a 10-by-15-inch Pyrex or ceramic baking dish with the olive oil. Form the meat mixture into a loaf in the oiled pan.
• Place in the oven, and bake until browned and cooked through (the center of the meatloaf should read 165 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer), about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Note
• About dried oregano: I typically like fresh herbs, but in the case of oregano I prefer it dried. However, I do not like the jarred product: I always buy a bouquet of dried oregano, from either Italy or Greece. It comes wrapped in a plastic bag and is easy to handle. Just rub the oregano in the plastic between your hands and shake the loose leaves out from one side. Then wrap the bouquet to seal it, and store in a dry place for next time.
• Oregano is great to flavor sauces, stuffing, in braised meats, and on pizza and focaccia. I even use it when I make myself sunny-side-up eggs with grated Grana Padano.

OUR FAVORITE MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet or 13x9" shallow baking dish with foil. Soak breadcrumbs in milk in a large bowl until ready to use.
• Pulse onion, celery, and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. (Alternatively, you can finely chop by hand.)
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion mixture, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in Worcestershire, and scrape into bowl with breadcrumb mixture. Add beef, pork, eggs, 1/4 cup ketchup, and remaining 1 1/4 tsp. salt and 1 tsp. pepper, then mix with your hands to combine.
• Form meatloaf mixture into a long, well-packed, approximately 5"-wide loaf shape on prepared baking sheet. Brush top of loaf with 1/4 cup ketchup. Bake meatloaf until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155°F, 60-75 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Serve with more ketchup alongside.
• Do Ahead
• Meatloaf can be made 3 days ahead; wrap in foil and chill, or freeze for up to 3 months.

ITALIAN MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Grease 9x5-inch loaf pan. Place rye and white breads in large bowl. Pour 1 cup water over. Let soak 5 minutes. Drain off any excess water. Mash bread finely with fork. Add ground beef, onion, egg, Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper and mix well. Transfer to prepared dish. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Chill.)
• Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake meat loaf 30 minutes. Pour tomato sauce over. Sprinkle with oregano. Bake 20 more minutes. Let stand 5 minutes.

MY MOTHER'S ITALIAN-AMERICAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• 2. Put the beef, veal, and pork into a bowl and kneed them together.
• 3. Pour the milk into a bowl and soak the bread in it, squeezing it into a paste. Add the soaked bread to the bowl with the meat and work them together as though you were kneading dough. Add the cheese, garlic, onion, eggs, oregano, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and knead again until well incorporated.
• 4. Oil a large roasting pan with the olive oil. Form the meat mixture into a large loaf in the center of a roasting pan.
• 5. Stir in the plum tomatoes, tomato paste, and 1 cup water together in a bowl and pour the mixture evenly over the meatloaf. Scatter the carrots and celery in the pan around the loaf.
• 6. Put the pan in the oven and bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out warm, about 1 1/2 hours. If the loaf begins to look dry while cooking, tent it with aluminum foil. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool slightly.
• 7. Slice the meatloaf into servings, put 1 serving on each plate and spoon pan gravy and vegetables over and around the meatloaf.
• Your Nightly Specials
• You can make the loaf with beef and veal only, or with just beef.
• Lay some raw bacon strips over the loaf before baking. (This was one way my mother made her meatloaf extra special.)
• Add some sautéed mushrooms to the pan during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

ALL-AMERICAN MEAT LOAF

Steps:

• Saute green pepper and onion in oil in a large skillet until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Transfer to a large bowl; cool to room temperature., Preheat oven to 350°. Add eggs, milk, bread, cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper to sauteed vegetables. Crumble beef and pork over mixture and mix well., Pat into 2 greased 9x5-in. loaf pans. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and vinegar in a small bowl. Spread over tops. , Bake, uncovered, 50-55 minutes or until no pink remains and a thermometer reads 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Freeze option: Shape meat loaves in plastic wrap-lined loaf pans; top with ketchup mixture. Cover and freeze until firm. Remove from pan and wrap securely in foil; return to freezer. Freeze up to 3 months. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap meat loaf and place in pan. Bake, uncovered, 1-1/4-1-1/2 hours, or until a thermometer reads 160°.

MY MOM'S MEATLOAF RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350*.
• In large bowl mix beef, chopped onions, bread and half of the milk with hands.
• Slowly add the remainder of the milk if needed - too much will make the mixture to runny and it won't form the loaf.
• Shape into loaf and place in a glass 8x8 or 9x13 baking dish, I add just a little water to the bottom of the pan.
• Bake at 350* for 45 min, cover the top of the loaf with the glaze and finish baking for 15-20 min longer.
• Let the loaf sit 10-15 min before slicing.