Isn’t it exciting when you find the perfect family dinner recipe? Who knew before having kids that something so simple could give you such joy? This meatloaf recipe with pork and beef is just that recipe. It checks all the boxes:
It’s easy to make.
Everyone in the family loves it.
It’s exciting.
It’s impressive enough for entertaining.
And you can easily modify it to make new variations so no one will get bored with this dish.
This Italian meatloaf recipe was inspired by Gino D’ Acampo. He calls this recipe “Stuffed Sicilian Meat Roll.” His technique of rolling the meatloaf is the key to how to make meatloaf moist as well as beautiful.
You can find the recipe in his cookbook, Island in the Sun, on Amazon, or for a reduced price, get a used copy on AbeBooks. I made a few changes to his recipe based on what my family likes. You will see it is easy to modify to your liking as well.
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion peeled and minced
1 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
6 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
6 tablespoons of homemade breadcrumbs * see notes below.
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 large eggs, beaten
parsley
3.5 ounces sliced prosciutto
6 ounces caciocavallo, scamorza, asiago, mozzarella, or provolone cheese cut into cubes
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley chopped finely
Sea salt or Celtic salt
Fresh ground pepper
3 ½ cups homemade tomato sauce
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat.
Add the onion and fry for 6 minutes or until softened, stirring occasionally. Set it aside.
Put the beef and pork in a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, tomato purée, eggs, and parsley—season with salt and pepper.
Add the sauteed onion. Mix well with your hands until everything is thoroughly combined. This is a fun job for kids.
Place a piece of parchment paper large enough to cover a half-sheet pan (cookie sheet). Turn out the mixture onto the parchment paper. Using your hands, flatten and shape the meat mixture to a rectangle filling the space of the sheet pan.
Arrange the ham slices on the top of the meat rectangle, leaving a small border of about 1cm all around. Scatter the cheese over the loaf, leaving a border around the edge.
Starting from one of the long edges, tightly roll up the meat like a Swiss roll. Use the parchment to help by gently pulling it up and over as you roll. Leave the meat roll on the parchment on the edge of the sheet pan while you prepare the pan.
To prepare the pan, drizzle a slight amount of olive oil on the sheet pan and spread it around with your fingers to lightly coat the pan.
Roll the meat roll from the parchment paper onto the sheet pan, ensuring that the seam/the end of the roll joint is underneath.
Bake for 1 hour.
Remove the meat roll from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Slice thickly and serve with the tomato sauce.
Gino’s recipe calls for caciocavallo cheese which may not be easy to find. Some excellent substitutions are scamorza, provolone, asiago, and mozzarella.
Gino used red onion and red pepper, alternatives to yellow onion you can consider.
This dish is excellent on its own but even better served on a bed of homemade tomato sauce. For the tomato sauce, make it with fresh or canned tomatoes.
You can find an easy tomato sauce recipe made with canned tomatoes here.
Once you make homemade tomato sauce, you won’t be able to go back to the jar. A fresh sauce has a rich, fresh, caramelized flavor, and you can be assured there are no additives or preservatives in the sauce. When making tomato sauce, it is wise to make a large batch and freeze it in Tupperware, quart-size baggies, or Souper Cubes.
Then it is ready when you need it. And if you make it, you’ll use it.
On pizza
Bruschetta- toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with tomato sauce and leftovers.
Steak Pizzaiola- Pan-seared steak on a bed of fresh tomato sauce.
With pasta
