Italian Meatloaf With Ricotta Cheese Recipes

ITALIAN MEATLOAF WITH RICOTTA CHEESE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a roasting tray (with rack) with parchment paper.
• Add the onion, parsley and garlic to a food processor; pulse until finely minced, scraping down the sides if needed.
• In a large bowl combine the mixture with ground beef, eggs, ricotta cheese, Parmesan, Italian bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, oregano, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix just until combined. Don't overmix otherwise the meatloaf will be tough.
• Put the meat mixture into a loaf pan and form 7 x 9- inch loaf. Turn it out onto the prepared roasting tray with rack. Alternatively, you can form the loaf with your hands.
• Bake for 50 minutes in the preheated oven.
• Meanwhile, mix together the marinara sauce, onion powder and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl.
• Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the glaze over it. Bake further for 15 minutes or until cooked through. The meatloaf is done when the internal temperature reaches 160 F ( 71 C). Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Serve meatloaf over spaghetti pasta and top with pasta sauce (or marinara sauce), grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley. Enjoy!

ITALIAN CHEESE-STUFFED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Line 15x10x1-inch pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in ground beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, salt, pepper, garlic and 1/2 cup of the pizza sauce until well combined.
• On large sheet of foil, shape beef mixture into 12x10-inch rectangle. Top evenly with provolone cheese, roasted peppers and olives to within 1/2 inch of edges. Starting with one 10-inch side, roll up; press seam to seal. Place seam side down in pan.
• Bake 40 minutes. Remove from oven; spoon remaining pizza sauce over loaf. Insert meat thermometer so bulb reaches center of loaf.
• Return to oven; bake 15 to 20 minutes longer or until loaf is thoroughly cooked in center and thermometer reads 160°F. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF WITH MOZZARELLA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a glass baking pan (9x13) with a nonstick cooking spray. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of the pan. Spread with a spoon.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF MUFFINS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400° F. Very lightly spray a regular-sized muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
• Heat a medium skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add oil. Once oil is hot, stir in onion. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until onion is softened, stirring occasionally. Then add garlic and sauté for 3 minutes more. Remove pan from heat. Transfer onion and garlic mixture to a large bowl. Let cool for a few minutes.
• To the onion and garlic mixture, stir in 1/2 cup of the marinara, and then the egg, bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, mustard, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Add ground beef and Italian sausage, and combine thoroughly with your hands.
• Lightly press about half of the meatloaf mixture into each of 12 muffin cups. Press a cube of mozzarella gently into the center of each muffin cup. Top each cube of cheese with more meatloaf mixture, evenly dividing up the remaining mixture.
• Top meatloaf muffins with remaining 1/2 cup of marinara, dividing evenly amongst the 12 portions. Place muffin pan on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes, or until internal temperature registers 165° F and the muffins are hot and bubbling. Remove pan from oven and let stand for a few minutes. Using a slotted spoon, carefully transfer meatloaf muffins to a serving platter. Sprinkle with additional chopped parsley, if desired.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Add the olive oil to a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat.
• Add the onion and bell pepper, saute 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saute for an additional minute.
• Add the cooked onion, bell pepper and garlic to a large bowl with the ground beef, Italian sausage, Italian seasoning, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs, combine well.
• Press the mixture into a 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan.
• Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
• Remove the meatloaf from the oven and spread the marinara sauce over the meatloaf.
• Return to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Put the bread slices into a bowl. Pour the milk over the slices of bread; turning the bread to coat with milk. Allow the bread to sit and absorb the milk while chopping the herbs, garlic, and shallots
• After chopping the herbs, squeeze out excess milk from the slices of bread with your hand like you would a wash rag.
• In a very large bowl, add the first 9 ingredients + ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese, reserving ¼ cup of the parmesan. Mix well, ensuring that the mixture is thoroughly mixed.
• Once the meatloaf mixture is mixed evenly, dump the mixture out onto a clean work surface. Using your hands or a rolling pin, press the meatloaf mixture into a ½-inch thick square shape on the clean work surface.
• Sprinkle the meatloaf mixture with the remaining parmesan cheese, the cubed and shredded mozzarella cheese.
• Begin rolling the flattened meatloaf over, tucking the cheese inside, to form a loaf. Placing a hand on each end, gently squeeze and shape the meatloaf mixture to shorten the loaf as needed.
• Roll the flattened meatloaf over and tuck the cheese inside, to form a loaf. Place one hand on each end of the loaf and gently squeeze to shape the meatloaf mixture to shorten the loaf as needed.
• Place the meatloaf on a baking rack over a foil-lined sheet pan or put the loaf into a loaf pan, pressing as needed to fit the pan. Top with extra parmesan and mozzarella, if desired. Place in the preheated oven for 1 to 1 ½ hours or until juices run clear.
• If you make the basic tomato sauce, begin the sauce as soon as you get the meatloaf in the oven. This allows it time to simmer, while the meatloaf bakes.Boil the pasta and warm jarred sauce during the final 15 to 20 minutes the meatloaf is in the oven.
• Remove the meatloaf and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Slice and place over a bed of pasta and smothered in tomato sauce.

RICOTTA-STUFFED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, ground beef, TWO of the eggs, the breadcrumbs, garlic, oregano and tomato paste together.
• The best way to do this is with your hands, so if the meats are brought almost to room temp, it will be easier and not quite such a shock to tender fingers. Make sure all the ingredients are mixed together evenly; set aside.
• In a separate mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, Parmesan, parsley and remaining egg. If the mix seems a little runny, add a little extra Parmesan. Set aside.
• In a large roasting pan, place one half of the meat mixture and form into a rectangle, with the center a little lower than the sides.
• Spoon all of the ricotta mixture in the center of the meat loaf, leaving at least one inch all the way around.
• Carefully place the rest of the meatloaf mix around and over the top of the ricotta. The easiest way to do this so that the ricotta doesn't "escape" is to start from the sides and the ends and work inward. Smooth and shape the loaf gently and top with mozzarella cheese. An alternate to shredded cheese is to lay thin slices in a decorative pattern down the center.
• Bake uncovered for 60-75 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees.
• Let rest for 10 minutes before cutting into individual servings.
• Delicious with oven-roasted potatoes and a tomato-basil salad. Buon Appetito!

SPINACH AND RICOTTA CHEESE ROLLED MEATLOAF

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F Spray an 8x4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
• To make meatloaf: In a bowl, mix all meatloaf ingredients. On a 12-inch square piece of waxed paper, pat out mixture into an 8-inch square.
• To make filling: In a nonstick skillet sprayed with cooking spray, cook onions over medium heat for 5 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in spinach and garlic; cook for 2 minutes. Turn off heat; add cheeses, stirring until combined. Spread over meatloaf. Using the waxed paper as a guide, roll up the meatloaf; carefully place in loaf pan seam side down. Spread barbecue sauce over top; sprinkle with cheese.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before carefully inverting onto a serving platter. Slice.

POLPETONNE ALLA RICOTTA (MEATLOAF WITH RICOTTA)

Steps:

• NOTE: If using homemade sauce, it is convenient to have the sauce prepared in advance.
• Preheat the oven to 400° F
• In a large bowl, pour the milk over the bread cubes and let them soak until the bread is saturated, about 5 minutes. Squeeze the soft bread, a little at a time, pressing out as much of the milk as possible, discard the milk. Tear the bread into small pieces and add it back to the bowl.
• Crumble the ground beef into the same bowl. Add the eggs, ricotta, scallions, grated cheese, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Gently fold to incorporate all the ingredients together. Using clean hands, squeeze the mixture between your fingers to distribute all the ingredients evenly.
• Brush a roasting pan or baking dish with only 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the meat mixture to the pan and shape it into a loaf (the shape should be similar to a rustic loaf of bread). Lightly sprinkle the breadcrumbs on the top of the loaf, patting them in, while trying not to get too much in the pan - alternatively, add the meat to a work surface to shape it and add the breadcrumbs, then use two large spatulas to carefully transfer the meat to the oiled roasting pan.
• Drizzle the loaf with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the wine to the baking dish, pouring it around the loaf. Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes, basting the meat twice: 20 minutes into the baking time and once more during the last 10 minutes, until a nice golden color develops and a crust forms on top. The internal temperature of the meatloaf when done should read at least 160 F. Note during cooking that the meatloaf will render some fat into the pan.
• In the meantime, heat the tomato sauce in a large skillet or medium Dutch oven, one large enough to nestle the meatloaf in later, and keep it at a low simmer until ready.
• Transfer the meatloaf to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• Serve family style by adding the meatloaf to the sauce. Garnish with a drizzle of quality extra virgin olive oil and more Parmigiano, if desired. Be sure to scoop up some sauce when serving.