Recipe: Italian Meatloaf (using Italian sausage, topped with tomato sauce and mozzarella

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground mild Italian sausage
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped red or green bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup coarse dried bread crumbs, preferably sourdough or Italian
2 tablespoons dry red wine (optional)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce, divided use
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine beef, sausage, onion, bell pepper, garlic, bread crumbs, optional wine, egg, Worcestershire, parsley, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, Parmesan and 1/2 cup tomato sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Spoon into prepared pan and gently pack down.

Bake 45 minutes.

Remove from oven; pour off drippings. Spread remaining tomato sauce on top of the loaf and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella.

Return to oven and bake until an internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. The cheese should be melted and the sauce should be bubbling hot. Let stand 10 minutes.

Pour off drippings and remove from pan before slicing.

Serves 6 to 8
Source: Meatloaf: Recipes for Everyone's Favorite by Maryana Vollstedt and Jennifer Levy