Meatloaf is certainly a main course that pleases almost everyone. For many it is a dish that recalls childhood and Sunday family lunches.
It’s very simple and very quick to prepare.
I recently rediscovered it – it had been a long time since I ate it – and after trying this version that I truly fell in love with, I think it will be one of the dishes I’ll make most often from now on, especially after seeing how eagerly my son eats it… a great satisfaction!
This meatloaf is baked in the oven, but I can guarantee that it remains soft and juicy like you would never expect, and super flavorful!
This is thanks to a couple of tricks that I’ll reveal right away: I bake it completely wrapped in parchment paper (like a candy) and I add a zucchini finely chopped in the blender RAW into the mixture.
These two steps, you’ll see, are essential to obtain a baked meatloaf that is super soft, yet at the same time that does not fall apart (and does not crumble when sliced) and that keeps its shape perfectly during cooking.
Finally, to make my meatloaf even more flavorful, I also add a few slices of cooked ham to the mixture, also finely chopped.
Hurry up and try it; let me know if it will be love at first bite as it was for me and my family.
I’ll also leave you some other of my very easy and tasty main course recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Cooking time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients to prepare the BAKED MEATLOAF
- 1 lb 5 oz mixed ground meat
- 3 eggs (medium)
- 4 oz oz cooked ham ((about 120 g))
- 1 zucchini (medium)
- 6 tbsp breadcrumbs (about)
- 6 tbsp grated Parmesan
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- salt (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
Tools
- Parchment paper
- Hand blender small
Steps to prepare the BAKED MEATLOAF
In a large bowl pour the mixed ground meat, ideally kept out of the refrigerator for about five minutes beforehand.
Add salt, pepper and nutmeg, then mix everything very well with a fork.
Take the hand blender (the small one) and finely chop the raw zucchini after washing it, trimming the ends and cutting it into pieces. Once finely chopped it should resemble a cream (CHECK THE VIDEO FOR ANY DOUBT).
Pour the zucchini ‘cream’ into the bowl with the ground meat then, in the same blender, finely chop the cooked ham as well; you should obtain a pâté-like consistency.
Add it to the bowl and mix very well, always with the fork, to make the mixture completely homogeneous.
At this point add the eggs and the Parmesan, taking care to always mix very well, otherwise your meatloaf will be uneven even after cooking.
Finally add the breadcrumbs. For this last ‘mix’ I prefer to use my hands, you get a better feel for the consistency and therefore you can understand whether it is necessary to add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
The mixture should be soft but moldable and not sticky; I recommend referring to the VIDEO at the top of the page 🙂
Now, preheat the oven (conventional/static) to 356°F, then take the baking tray and line it with a sheet of parchment paper.
On your work surface, spread another sheet of parchment paper and turn out the meatloaf mixture onto it, placing it in the center and giving it a first elongated shape, following the longer side of the parchment.
Shape with your hands and help yourself by rolling the parchment a little, forming the classic meatloaf shape, taking care to close any uneven parts with your hands so that, at the end and during cooking, your meatloaf will remain compact while being very soft.
Wrap the parchment paper around your meatloaf, twisting the ends like a candy.
Place it on the tray and bake on the middle rack in a fully preheated oven and cook for about 50-60 minutes, taking care to turn your meatloaf halfway through the cooking time.
During the last 5-10 minutes of cooking, open the ‘candy’ to let the steam escape, which until that moment has been essential to keep your meatloaf soft.
Once out of the oven, wait five minutes, then slice and serve your BAKED MEATLOAF.
Soft, actually very soft, yet it doesn’t crumble when sliced and doesn’t break during cooking. And super flavorful!
Storage and variations
Meatloaf is one of the ultimate waste-saving recipes, because it lends itself to many additions and/or variations depending on what you have in your fridge.
Instead of raw zucchini, for example, you can chop boiled spinach, or a carrot; if you want to further enrich the flavor of your meatloaf, you can of course add, before rolling the mixture, a stringy cheese in the center, or place three hard-boiled eggs in a row in the center together with boiled spinach or a few thin slices of speck.
The important thing is to respect the amount of ground meat (adding an extra 4 oz if you want to omit the cooked ham) and the number of eggs, always adjusting the final consistency with breadcrumbs.
– If you liked this recipe, here’s the link to my blog page dedicated to MAIN COURSES, you’ll find many other interesting ideas: click HERE.
