Italian Meatloaf is a tender, flavorful meatloaf made from a combination of ground beef and Italian sausage. Cooked in a rich tomato sauce and covered with a thick layer of Fontina cheese. So delicious!
It’s like eating a giant meatball! This is one of my favorite meatloafs. Scroll down for more meatloaf recipes.
The leftovers make a fantastic Meatloaf Sandwich.
The binding agents in this meatloaf are eggs and crushed Saltine crackers and they do a fantastic job of holding it together. It can be cut into nice sturdy slices which is one of the reasons it makes such a great meatloaf sandwich.
Saltines add so much more flavor to meatloaf than breadcrumbs. There’s a full sleeve of Saltine crackers in this Italian Meatloaf which seems like a lot. But trust me, it is just the right amount.
This meatloaf feeds alot of people. A family of 4 should get two meals out of it.
In addition to the thick layer of Fontina cheese on top, there’s Parmesan cheese added to the meatloaf mixture. The meatloaf cooks in a rich tomato sauce that comes most of the way up the meatloaf. Cooking it in tomato sauce really keeps it moist.
There’s a few crushed red pepper flakes added to the sauce and the meatloaf for a little heat. If you want more heat, double the amount in either the sauce or the meatloaf. Doubling both might be overpowering.
What To Serve With Italian Meatloaf:
- Slow Cooker Garlic Parmesan Potatoes
- Southern-Style Green Beans
- Super Creamy Mac and Cheese
- Marinated Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad
Try These Other Meatloaf Recipes:
Watch the short video below to see how easy this recipe is to make.
Italian Meatloaf
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Meatloaf
- 35 saltine squares, one full sleeve
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teapsoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teapsoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup shredded fontina cheese or mozzarella cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- To make the sauce, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees and lightly grease a broiler-safe 9x13-inch pan.
- Place saltines in a large ziptop bag and crush with a rolling pin.
- Stir together the saltines, milk, and eggs in a large bowl. Let sit 5 minutes. Stir again so that it forms a paste.
- Add all remaining ingredients EXCEPT fontina cheese and basil. Mix thoroughly.
- Transfer mixture to prepared dish and shape into a 9x5-inch oval. Pour sauce over meatloaf.
- Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour.
- Uncover and sprinkle with fontina. Place under broiler until cheese is melted. Let rest 10 minutes. Spoon off any grease from tomato sauce. Slice meatloaf and sprinkle with basil.
Yum! I want to try this recipe soon!! The video clip of making this recipe states refrigerate for 1 hour!? And the written recipe below says bake for 1 hour. Must be an oversight
can you sub breadcrumbs for the crackers?
what is the conversion?
Hi, I just looked up similar recipes and saw that they used 1 C of bread crumbs. Hope this helps. Im going to try it tonight.
I increase the meat by 1/2 pound and divide into two loaves. Makes wonderful meatloaf sandwiches !
I need them nutrition information. Especially the carbs. My 4 year old granddaughter was n type 1 diabetic and I need th carbs. The recipe sounds deliciously. Thank you so much.
Can’t wait to try this, but we are a party of two. Can I make this divide it in two and freeze one for later?
Thanks, Jan