Baked meatloaf is a typical second meat dish of Italian cuisine, a great classic of the holiday and Sunday table, prepared in every family with a personal recipe. The dough is based on mixed ground beef and pork, enriched with breadcrumbs, cheese, eggs, garlic and parsley. A filling makes the meatloaf even more succulent, delicious if accompanied by baked potatoes , either hot or at room temperature.

Baked meatloaf is a fridge-emptying recipe , easy to make and very versatile: you can choose to use common ingredients, often available at home; for the filling you can opt for soft or semi-mature cheeses , to prevent them from releasing too much water during cooking, ruining the external crust.

It can be filled as desired with cured meats, cheeses and vegetables depending on personal taste. The recipe lends itself to many variations: preparation in a brisée crust , cooking in a pan , the version with sauce or the various meat-free alternatives . There are many ideas, one more curious than the other.

For an impeccable result, we recommend cooking it wrapped in baking paper : in this way the heat will spread evenly, preventing the surface from cracking. This will also prevent it from drying out too much inside. A few small precautions in the process: here are the steps to follow to prepare a soft stuffed meatloaf in the oven.

Ingredients
FOR THE DOUGH
MIXED GROUND MEAT (BEEF AND PORK)
500 gr
EGG
4
STALE BREADCRUMBS
100 gr
SEA SALT
q.b.
PARSLEY
1 tuft
GARLIC
1/2 clove
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
q.b.
SALE
q.b.
FOR THE STUFFING
BAKED HAM
150 gr
SLICED ​​SMOKED PROVOLA
150 gr
FOR THE SIDE DISH
POTATOES
800 gr
ROSEMARY
a few twigs
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
q.b.
SALE
q.b.
BABY
q.b.
How to prepare baked meatloaf

Step 1
In a large bowl, mix the two types of minced meat
1
.

Step 2
Add the stale breadcrumbs
2
.

Step 3
Also add the eggs and salt
3
.

Step 4
It smells of garlic and parsley, finely chopped
4
, then also add a drizzle of oil.

Step 5
Top with grated cheese
5
.

Step 6
Stir with a fork to combine the ingredients
6
.

Step 7
Mash the dough well to make it uniform
7
.

Step 8
Spread the meat mixture onto a sheet of baking paper
8
and give the shape of a rectangle about 1 cm thick.

Step 9
Stuff by placing thin slices of cooked ham on 2/3 of the surface
9
.

Step 10
Also add the slices of melted cheese
10
, leaving a few cm of space at the top.

Step 11
Using the baking paper, start rolling the meatloaf tightly
eleven
.

Step 12
Once you have obtained the classic cylindrical shape, shape it with your hands
12
and seal the ends well.

Step 13
Move the meatloaf to a lightly oiled baking sheet
13
.

Step 14
Brush the surface with oil using a brush
14
.

Step 15
Bake the meatloaf at 200°C for about 20 minutes, then take it out of the oven and add the potatoes all around it, seasoned with oil, salt and rosemary
15
.

Step 16
Distribute them well and put the meatloaf back in the oven for another 40 minutes
16
. When there are a few minutes left until the end of cooking, open the oven and check that the meatloaf is soft and that the meat has lost water. If not, let it cook a few more minutes to make sure it’s cooked through both inside and out.

Step 17
Take the meatloaf out of the oven, let it settle for a few minutes, then cut it into slices and serve it with the potatoes
17
.

Advice
To prevent the meatloaf from drying out on the outside and opening up, splitting in the centre, cover it with a sheet of baking paper and proceed with the first part of cooking in the oven. If despite this precaution it has irremediably opened, 5 minutes before the end of cooking, insert some slices of scamorza into the crack and put the meatloaf back in the oven.

If it has dried out excessively, accompany it with sauces to restore its classic moist and soft consistency.

storage
The meatloaf will keep in the fridge for 2 days in an airtight container. It can be frozen, both before and after cooking, if fresh ingredients have been used.

To consume it in the following days, cut it into slices, place them in the oven and heat them at 180°C for 5-10 minutes, until the filling has lost its hardness.