Recipe: Meat Loaf Italian Style (crock pot)

MEAT LOAF ITALIAN STYLE

1 (8 oz) can pizza sauce, divided use
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/3 cup dry seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
foil handles*

Reserve 1/3 cup pizza sauce; cover and refrigerate.

In a mixing bowl combine remaining pizza sauce and egg. Stir in onion, green pepper, bread crumbs, garlic salt, and black pepper. Add ground beef and mix well.

Fold meat mixture into a loaf and place on 3 foil handles. Transfer loaf to any size Crock-Pot.

Cover and cook 8 to 10 hours on LOW or 4 to 6 hours on HIGH. To ensure doneness insert meat thermometer into center of loaf and internal temperature should read 170 degrees F.

Spread loaf with reserved 1/3 cup pizza sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover and let cook 15 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Using foil strips, lift loaf from Crock-Pot and transfer to a serving plate. Discard foil strips. Serve.

*TO MAKE FOIL HANDLES:
Tear off three 20 x 3-inch strips of heavy foil or use regular foil folded to double thickness. Crisscross the foil strips in a spoke design. Place the foil handles on a large sheet of waxed paper. Place the meat loaf on the spoke design. Lift the ends of the handles to transfer the loaf to the Crock-Pot. When ready to serve, simple lift the foil handles from the Crock-Pot and remove the meal to a serving dish.

Servings: 8
Adapted from source: Rival Crock-Pot Slow Cooker Cuisine