Italian Meatloaf With Chunky Tomato Sauce

Meatloaf is a really traditional dish and certainly doesn’t feature on the menu of any restaurant I have been to in many years.  However I think it has been overlooked too long and is a very easy to make meal that you would be happy with on a busy week night.

The ground beef is mixed with capsicum and sourdough breadcrumbs.  When topped with a sweet, rich chunky tomato sauce, this elevates it above the mundane reputation that meatloaf has.

Served with your favourite vegetables or salad, and you have a very satisfying meal that your family will enjoy.

Print Recipe

Italian Meatloaf With Chunky Tomato Sauce

Prep Time

25 minutes

Cook Time

50 minutes

Servings

people

Ingredients

Meatloaf

• 5 slices Sourdough Bread
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Brown Onion Diced
• 4 rashers Bacon diced
• 1 Red Capsicum Diced
• 800 g Beef Mince
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Basil Leaves roughly chopped
• 20 g Butter melted
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated

Chunky Tomato Sauce

• 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 Brown Onion Diced
• 2 Cloves Garlic crushed
• 800 g Diced Tomatoes 2 x 400g cans
• 1 cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar white or red (I used red which perhaps makes the sauce sweeter)

Prep Time 25 minutes Cook Time 50 minutes Servings people Ingredients Meatloaf 5 slices Sourdough Bread 1 tbsp Olive Oil 1 Brown Onion Diced 4 rashers Bacon diced 1 Red Capsicum Diced 800 g Beef Mince 2 Eggs 1/2 cup Basil Leaves roughly chopped 20 g Butter melted 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated Chunky Tomato Sauce 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil 1 Brown Onion Diced 2 Cloves Garlic crushed 800 g Diced Tomatoes 2 x 400g cans 1 cup Brown Sugar 1/2 cup Balsamic Vinegar white or red (I used red which perhaps makes the sauce sweeter)

Instructions

Meatloaf

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (fan forced)
2. Grease and line with baking paper a 20cm x 10cm (base measurement) loaf pan.
3. Break bread into food processor and process until roughly chopped.
4. Heat oil in frying pan over medium heat.
5. Add onion, bacon and capsicum and cook for 5 minutes or until onion and capsicum is tender. Remove from heat
6. In a large bowl, combine mince, 1 cup of breadcrumbs, eggs, basil and cooked onion mixture in a bowl.
7. Spoon mixture into loaf pan and smooth the top.
8. Combine butter, remaining breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl and sprinkle over the top of the loaf and press lightly onto mixture.
9. Bake for approx. 50 minutes or until cooked through

Chunky Tomato Sauce

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add onion and cook for 3 minutes or until soft.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add tomatoes, sugar and vinegar and stir until combined.
5. Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes or until thick sauce forms.
6. Season with salt & pepper.
7. Slice meatloaf and serve with sauce