This Italian meatloaf recipe is infused with Italian spices and parmesan cheese and topped with homemade sauce. It's the perfect warm and filling meal when it's chilly outside and puts a nostalgic twist on a classic meatloaf.
This post was originally published in December 2017 and has been updated for content.
Italian food is always comfort food to me. This Italian style version of a traditional meatloaf recipe is the ultimate comfort food and makes an excellent Sunday dinner.
It uses simple ingredients and only takes 10 minutes to put together. It's basically like a giant meatball. What more could you want?
This would be a great recipe served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, balsamic roasted brussels sprouts, or italian pesto bread.
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🍅 Ingredient notes
- Meat - A 50/50 combination of ground beef and ground pork adds extra moisture and flavor that makes a tender meatloaf. All ground beef can be used if that is what you prefer.
- Bread - Instead of using bread crumbs, a slice of bread that is soaked in milk for great texture and flavor. Regular sandwich bread is just fine!
- Sauce - I love using my Italian Sunday Gravy for this recipe, however your favorite store bought marinara can be used as well.
📋 Substitutions and variations
- Sausage - Replace some of the beef and pork with spicy or mild ground Italian sausage for a slightly different flavor.
- Spicy - Add ½ teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes to the seasoning to zest this meatloaf up a bit!
- Gluten free - To make this meatloaf gluten free, make sure the marinara is gluten free and use gluten free bread.
- Dairy free - Substitute the whole milk for unsweetened dairy free milk or beef broth and omit the parmesan cheese. Make sure that the bread and marinara you are using are also dairy free.
🔪 Step by step instructions
First, pour the milk over the slice of bread in a small bowl and set it aside. In large bowl combine ground beef and pork with a large egg, the dried herbs, kosher salt, black pepper and the parmesan cheese.
Add in the milk-soaked bread and mix everything together with a spoon or clean hands until they are just combined. Shape the meat mixture into a loaf shape on a sheet pan or baking dish lined with parchment paper or in large loaf pan.
Bake the meatloaf in a 350˚ oven for about 20 minutes and then top with the marinara sauce. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 155˚. Let the meatloaf rest for about 5-10 minutes and then slice and serve!
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⭐ Expert tips
- For the best meatloaf, be careful not to over mix the mixture. Gently mixing by hand or with a mixing spoon until the ingredients are just incorporated is best.
- To make sure the meatloaf is cooked properly, check the internal temperature using a meat thermometer (affiliate link) to ensure it reaches a minimum temperature of 155˚.
- Letting the meatloaf rest after cooking will allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat so it stays juicy after slicing it.
💭 Frequently asked questions
The milk combined with the bread mixes together to help add and retain moisture while the meatloaf is cooking. It also makes a flavorful meatloaf!
It's not necessary to cover a meatloaf while it's cooking, however if you want to loosely add a piece of foil over the top of it, it will help retain some moisture. Remove the foil when you add the marinara and let it continue to cook uncovered for the last 10-15 minutes.
⏲️ Make ahead and storage instructions
This delicious meatloaf can be prepared ahead of time and stored uncooked on the sheet pan. Cover it tightly in plastic and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours ahead of time. Remove the uncooked meatloaf from the refrigerator 30-60 minutes before cooking time or cooking times will be longer.
Leftovers of this Italian dish will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days and can be either reheated in the microwave or oven. They are definitely better the next day!
🍝 More comfort food recipes
If you loved this Italian meatloaf recipe, check out these other comfort food recipes that I know you will love too!
- Sunday Pot Roast Dinner
- Chicken Pot Pie with Biscuits
- The Perfect Classic Italian Lasagna
- One Pot Chicken and Rice
📖 Recipe
Italian Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 slice white bread
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup italian gravy (affiliate link), or marinara
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet (affiliate link) with parchment paper (affiliate link) or foil.
- Place the slice of bread in a small bowl and pour milk over the top of it. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (affiliate link), combine the remaining ingredients, with the exception of the marinara. Add in milk soaked bread and mix together with hands until ingredients are incorporated. Do not over mix.
- Turn mixture out onto prepared baking sheet and shape into loaf.
- Bake meatloaf in preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Top with italian gravy (affiliate link) or marinara and continue to bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 155°.
- Remove meatloaf from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
- Be careful not to over mix the meatloaf mixture or it will get tough. Gently mixing by hand or with a mixing spoon until the ingredients are just incorporated is best.
- To make sure the meatloaf is cooked properly, check the internal temperature using a kitchen thermometer (affiliate link) to ensure it reaches a minimum temperature of 155˚.
- Letting the meatloaf rest after cooking will allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat so it stays juicy after slicing it.
Substitutions and Variations
- Ground meat - Using a 50/50 combination of ground beef and pork adds extra moisture and flavor, however, all ground beef can be used as well.
- Sauce - Either homemade italian gravy (affiliate link) can be used for this recipe, store bought marinara.
- Gluten free - Use gluten free bread and gluten free marinara
- Dairy free - Substitute the whole milk for unsweetened dairy free milk or beef broth and omit the parmesan cheese. Make sure that the bread and marinara are also dairy free.
Ida Krozel
So good finally the best meatloaf I have ever made!
Amanda
Thank you Ida! I'm so happy to hear that - it's definitely a family favorite of ours.
Terri Wilkins
Easy and tasty so I will definitely make this again. I would use only 1/2 tsp of salt though and figure 10-15 minutes more cooking time. This was a hit in my house! Thank you for the recipe.
Amanda
I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Tess
I’m going to be honest, I am not a meatloaf fan, but when I saw the pictures of this my mouth was watering! I decided to give it a try and I was not disappointed! It was so delicious, I can’t wait to eat the leftovers for lunch!
Amanda
I'm so happy to hear that Tess, thank you for trying!
Heather
This was a hit with my family. As my husband normally doesn’t care for meatloaf, my boys were a bit wary until they tasted it. Both boys and my husband went back for more. I wish I could say I had leftovers for tomorrow. 🙂
Amanda
I'm so glad your family loved this recipe! Thank you for trying 🙂