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Katie's Cucina » Recipes » Main Dish

Italian Meatloaf

Published: Oct 27, 2020 · Modified: Oct 4, 2022 by Katie · This post may contain affiliate links

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Top view of a meatloaf dinner on a white plate with text on image for Pinterest.
White gravy boat pouring red sauce on top of sliced meatloaf.
Top view of meatloaf dinner with mashed potatoes and vegetables with text on image for Pinterest.
Top view of sliced meatloaf on a white platter with text on image for Pinterest.
Three photo split: Top of meatloaf dinner, bottom left of red sauce and whisk, right of tomato sauce poured on meatloaf.
Two photos: Top of plated meatloaf dinner, bottom of sliced meatloaf with sauce being poured on.
Two photo split: Top of sliced meatloaf, bottom of two slices of meatloaf on mashed potatoes.

Italian Meatloaf is a comfort food classic dinner. This meatloaf mixture includes spices, egg, Italian style bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and my secret ingredient, shredded zucchini! Top this meatloaf recipe with a sweet tomato sauce to lock in all the flavor.

Top view of a plate of meatloaf with mashed potatoes.

We love classic comfort food dinners with a twist in my home. My Italian Meatloaf recipe fits the bill perfectly. My kids are pretty good about eating food in general, but like most people in the world it can sometimes be a struggle to get your child to eat their vegetables. I love to sneak in veggies, and that’s exactly what I do in this meatloaf recipe. I add in shredded zucchini that not only doubles as a little extra vegetable serving, but also keeps this Italian Style Meatloaf moist.

Top view of sliced meatloaf on a white platter with text on image for Pinterest.

Table of contents

  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Meatloaf
  • Meatloaf Sauce Recipe
  • FAQs
  • Tips & Tricks
  • Dinner Recipes

Ingredients

Ingredients: ground beef, tomato sauce, brown sugar, seasoning, egg, cheese, zucchini.
  • Ground Beef – I typically like to use a 80/20 ground chuck for my meatloaf. This helps keep the ground beef moist.
  • Egg– One egg keeps the meat moist.
  • Breadcrumbs – I like to use breadcrumbs to help bind the meat together. This is how I always make my meatloaf with Italian bread crumbs.
  • Pecorino Romano Cheese – I love the flavor of Pecorino Romano. If you don’t have this on hand grated Parmesan works well too.
  • Zucchini – I use a julienne slicer to thinly slice the zucchini. This is my secret ingredient to not only sneaking in the veggies, but also keeping the meatloaf moist.
  • Italian Seasoning – After all this is an Italian Style Meatloaf. Italian Seasoning adds to the flavors of this dish.
  • Dried Onion – I like to use dried onion instead of fresh onion. This cuts down on chopping time, plus gives way less of a pungent onion flavor.
  • Tomato Sauce – This is the base of the glaze that goes on top of the meatloaf.
  • Brown Sugar – I like a sweet tomato sauce and the brown sugar is what makes the sauce so sweet.

How to Make Meatloaf

Glass bowl on countertop filled with ground beef, breadcrumbs, cheese, egg, and zucchini.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded zucchini, egg, Italian seasoning, dried onion flakes, garlic powder, ground black pepper into the bowl.

Ground beef shaped into a loaf sitting in a greased glass pan on a marble counter.

Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Shape the meat into a loaf in the glass baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes.

Meatloaf Sauce Recipe

Three process shots of a bowl filled with tomato sauce and brown sugar, whisked and poured on cooked beef.

While meatloaf cooks, mix together the tomato sauce and the brown sugar until incorporated. Set to the side.

Remove the meatloaf from the oven. Pour half the sauce on top of the meatloaf. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the meatloaf from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes before slicing. Heat the remaining sauce and serve on the side.

FAQs

White plate with two slices of meatloaf with tomato sauce and mashed potatoes.
Is meatloaf and meatballs the same thing?

Meatloaf and meatballs are pretty similar when it comes to the ingredients. However, meatballs are small and round, and meatloaf is ground beef shaped into a loaf.

How long does meatloaf last in the fridge?

It’s best to keep meatloaf stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Meatloaf will stay good in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

What is the secret to moist meatloaf?

Here are a few of my secrets on keeping meatloaf moist.
-Use ground chuck meat an 80/20 blend for a moist meatloaf. The higher the fat the less chance of drying out the meat.
-Add an egg to the ground beef to keep it moist.
-Add my secret ingredient, shredded zucchini to keep the meat moist.
-Do not over cook the meatloaf. Take it out of the oven once the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

Tips & Tricks

White gravy boat pouring red sauce on top of sliced meatloaf.

Here are a few of my favorite tips and tricks I’ve found helpful when making this Italian style meatloaf.

  • Mix – I absolutely hate mixing ground beef by hand. Instead, I place all the ingredients in my KitchenAid Stand Mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and let it mix for me.
  • Don’t Over Mix – Speaking of mixing. Try not to over mix. This will yield a tough meatloaf.
  • Sauce – You can make this homemade sweet tomato sauce glaze or you can simply top with ketchup. Or keep the meatloaf naked and top with brown gravy.
  • Moist Meatloaf – See my FAQs above about how I like to add both egg and some zucchini to the ground beef. These two items will help keep the meatloaf moist.
  • Double – To serve more people, simply double this recipe. Add an additional 20 minutes of baking time on to your meatloaf.
  • Substitutions – If you want to make this gluten free, simply use a gluten free breadcrumb for this recipe.

Dinner Recipes

Top view of a plate of meatloaf, mashed potatoes, carrots, and Brussels sprouts.

Here are a few of my favorite dinner recipes for a delicious home cooked meal.

  • Instant Pot Meatloaf with Garlic Mashed Potatoes
  • Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
  • Individual Bacon-Cheddar Meat Loaves
  • Creamy Parmesan Risotto with Beet Greens
  • Sour Cream and Chive Mashed Potatoes
  • Double Cream Corn Casserole
  • Creamy Parmesan Orzo with Spinach

If you make this Italian meatloaf recipe, I would be honored and love for you to take the time to leave a star rating and comment! I spend hours developing and testing these recipes, and always love to hear feedback and user experience!

Don’t forget to FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram, and subscribe to my email list!

White plate with two slices of meatloaf with tomato sauce and mashed potatoes.

Italian Meatloaf

Italian Meatloaf is a comfort food classic dinner. This meatloaf mixture includes spices, egg, Italian style bread crumbs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and my secret ingredient, shredded zucchini! This is the perfect way to sneak vegetables into your meal. Even the pickiest eater won't notice.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Resting Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 5
Calories: 189kcal
Author: Katie

Equipment

  • Stove Top
  • Glass Baking Dish

Ingredients

For the Meatloaf:

  • 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
  • ½ cup Italian Style Bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup Grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
  • ½ cup Shredded Zucchini
  • 1 Egg
  • 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Dried Onion Flakes
  • ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt

For the Sauce:

  • 1 15 oz. Can Tomato Sauce
  • ½ cup Brown Sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Mix the ground beef, bread crumbs, grated Pecorino Romano cheese, shredded zucchini, egg, Italian seasoning, dried onion flakes, garlic powder, ground black pepper into the bowl.
  • Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray.
  • Shape the meat into a loaf in the glass baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes.
  • While meatloaf cooks, mix together the tomato sauce and the brown sugar until incorporated. Set to the side.
  • Remove the meatloaf from the oven. Pour half the sauce on top of the meatloaf. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Remove the meatloaf from the oven, let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.
  • Heat the remaining sauce and serve on the side.

Notes

  • Sauce – You can make this homemade sweet tomato sauce glaze or you can simply top with ketchup. Or keep the meatloaf naked and top with brown gravy.
  • Moist Meatloaf – See my FAQs above about how I like to add both egg and some zucchini to the ground beef. These two items will help keep the meatloaf moist.
  • Double – To serve more people, simply double this recipe. Add an additional 20 minutes of baking time on to your meatloaf.
  • Substitutions – If you want to make this gluten free, simply use a gluten free breadcrumb for this recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25lbs | Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 867mg | Potassium: 424mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 503IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @KatieJasiewicz or tag #katiescucina!
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Disclosure: There are affiliate links present in this post. That means if you click on a link and purchase something. I will receive a small percentage of the sale at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continuous support of Katie’s Cucina!

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About Katie

Katie is a busy mom of 2 children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don't take hours to cook! She started her blog 10 years ago as a way to help others get cooking in the kitchen.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Margot C

    October 27, 2013 at 9:11 pm

    I love cumin these days; I’ve been making things sort of Mexican flavored.

    Reply
  2. Yashica

    October 25, 2013 at 1:00 pm

    McCormick® Garlic & Herb Buffalo Wings Seasoning Mix

    Reply
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I'm Katie Jasiewicz: home cook, food blogger, and recipe developer. A busy mom of two children who loves to feed her family delicious meals that don’t take hours to cook! My mission is to create easy-to-make modern comfort food for the busy family. (more)

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