How many times as a child did I watch my grandmother prepare the Tuna Meatloaf, I remember her skillfully moving in the kitchen, few precise steps without ever making more mess than necessary. I, unlike her, create an incredible mess in the kitchen, from bowls to bowls, to pots and pans, then of course I have to clean and tidy everything, but in those moments and above all by preparing certain recipes I feel close to her.
Over the years, I also saw my mother prepare this Tuna Meatloaf and indeed the recipe I use today is hers. A perfect union of multiple recipes, potatoes were excluded and stale bread replaced with sliced bread. For me today, this Tuna Meatloaf is this recipe, a dish that can be served all year round but finds its maximum expression in summer and festive periods.
If you are meatloaf lovers, you can’t miss the Collection of Easy and Delicious Baked Meatloaf Recipes that I have recently published!
Perfect for a picnic outdoors, for example, for a trip on Easter Monday, or for a mountain walk on April 25th or even to sunbathe by the sea on June 2nd and not have to worry about lunch.
That said, let’s move on to the recipe, to the list of ingredients needed for a meatloaf for four people. I’ll see you on the blog’s social channels: Facebook fan page by clicking here or Instagram profile by clicking here or by following the Pinterest profile by clicking here. You will find many recipes, curiosities, and content from the food world every day.
Do you want to try other recipes? There are three meatloaf recipes on the blog:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer
- Energy 386.26 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.68 (g) of which sugars 2.71 (g)
- Proteins 31.35 (g)
- Fat 13.65 (g) of which saturated 6.34 (g)of which unsaturated 5.08 (g)
- Fibers 2.20 (g)
- Sodium 990.67 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 210 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 11.3 oz canned tuna (drained)
- 7.1 oz white sliced bread (you can also use stale bread with the same amount)
- 4 tablespoons cheese (grated)
- 2 eggs
- to taste chopped parsley
- to taste black pepper
- to taste salt
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste breadcrumbs
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Kitchen Scale
- 1 Oven
- 1 Spoon
- Parchment Paper
Steps
The preparation of Tuna Meatloaf is very simple, you just need to drain the canned tuna well and pour it into a bowl with nice high edges. Add two eggs, a pinch of salt and pepper, some finely chopped parsley, if you like the taste, a little chives will also go well. Then crumble 7.1 oz of white sandwich bread into the bowl (if you have it, sliced bread, whole wheat or with cereals will be fine as well). At this point, use a spoon to mix all the ingredients until you get a unique and sticky mixture. Arrange a sheet of parchment paper on a work surface and pour the meatloaf mixture into the center. Now use your hands and the parchment paper to form the classic shape of a meatloaf. Sprinkle some breadcrumbs on the parchment paper and roll the meatloaf over it, making sure the breadcrumbs stick to the outside. Then roll it up with the parchment paper and close the edges like a candy, securing them with kitchen twine.
Place the meatloaf in the freezer to rest for at least 30 minutes. After this time, turn on the oven and preheat it to 356°F (180°C) in static mode. Place the meatloaf, still wrapped like a candy, in a baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes. After this time, unwrap the meatloaf, drizzle extra virgin olive oil over the surface of the tuna meatloaf. Let the meatloaf bake for another 10 minutes and then remove from the oven. Before slicing and serving, wait at least a couple of minutes to ensure it doesn’t fall apart. Bon appétit!
Storage and Variations:
You can store the Tuna Meatloaf in the refrigerator, uncooked for a maximum of one day from its preparation, otherwise once cooked for a maximum of three days. If you store it cooked in the freezer, you can keep it for weeks.
For variations, you can use stale bread with the same amount as white bread, replace the cheese with salted ricotta, and if you like, you can use potatoes like in more classic Tuna Meatloaf recipes by reducing the amount of tuna and boiling and mashing the potatoes while hot, then allowing them to cool at room temperature before using them.
Other recipes with tuna: stuffed tomatoes with tuna , perfect as a side dish for a summer lunch or round zucchini stuffed with tomato, tuna, and rice, always super delicious!
