Italian Meatloaf

This post contains affiliate links. 

As a kid I never liked meatloaf. My mother used to make it covered in tomato sauce, and it wasn’t until I got into college that I embraced the goodness of tomatoes. Even though I now like tomatoes and tomato sauce, I still like my meatloaf unadorned. When meatloaf is not buried under a heavy sauce, it has to have a lot of flavor. This one certainly does. It’s delicious warm from the oven with a side of pasta, served on top of a pile of mashed potatoes, or the next day on a sandwich. It freezes well, so even if there are only a couple of you dining, freeze some for later. You’ll crave it.

Italian Meatloaf

1½ lbs. ground chuck
2 eggs, beaten
¾ c. Italian breadcrumbs
¼ c. chopped flat leaf parsley
¼ c. ketchup or marinara sauce
¼ t. Montreal steak seasoning
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. dried basil
1 t. garlic salt
½ t. dried minced onion
¼ t. granulated garlic
1 14.5-oz. can petite diced tomatoes with garlic and onion, drained
1½  c. shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a broiler pan with PAM, or place a rack into a foil-lined jelly-roll pan, and spray the rack with PAM; set aside.

In a large bowl, mix together ground chuck, eggs, breadcrumbs, parsley, and ketchup (or marinara sauce). Stir in Montreal steak seasoning, Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, garlic salt, minced onion, granulated garlic, diced tomatoes, and cheese. Shape into a loaf and place it on the prepared rack. Cover loosely with foil.

Bake approximately one hour, or until internal temperature reaches 160° F.