Stuffed Meatloaf (aka "Polpettone")

Serves	8
Prep time	15 minutes
Cook time	1 hour
Total time	1 hour, 15 minutes
Meal type	Main Dish

Stuffed meatloaf is so tasty and easy. Impress your dinner guests with this gorgeous dish! The variations you can make to this dish are endless. Try it!

Ingredients

1 Pound ground sirloin
1 egg
¾ Cup grated parmesan
¼ Cup fresh minced Italian parsley
1 Teaspoon kosher salt
½ Teaspoon pepper
2- 2-½ Cups bread crumbs (divided)
¾ Cup (approx.) milk (enough to make a soft, yet firm consistency)
¼ - ⅓ Pound thinly sliced deli ham (mortadella is another delicious option)
1 Generous cup shredded cheese such as provolone or munster (thinly sliced or finely cubed cheese is also ok)
2 hard-boiled eggs (finely chopped)
non-stick spray such as Pam

sauce

2-4 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Cup thinly sliced onions
8 Ounces fresh mushrooms (cleaned and thinly sliced)
1-½ Cups vegetable, beef or chicken broth
crushed red pepper to taste

sauce (Optional)

1 Tablespoon cornstarch (for thickening sauce, if desired)

Note

Stuffed Meatloaf is a beautiful and tasty dish you can be proud to serve to your dinner guests.

The stuffed meatloaf is prepared earlier that day or even the day before and sliced once thoroughly cooled. All that needs to be done once your guests arrive is add the sauce and place everything in the oven to reheat. This allows you time to relax with your guests.

Enjoy! -- The Recipe Wench

Directions

Prepare Meatloaf
Step 1
Preheat oven to 375°F Place the ground sirloin in a medium bowl. With your hands work in the egg, parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, 1 cup of bread crumbs and a bit of milk. Add additional milk and/or bread crumbs until you get a consistency similar to cookie dough. This may take some trial and error -- too many bread crumbs and the meatloaf will be dry. Too much milk and the meatloaf won't hold together. A soft, but firm consistency is what you're looking for.
Step 2
Take a 16" length of foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle about ½ cup of bread crumbs on the foil. Wet your hands and form the meat into an oblong shape, approximately 11-12 inches in length. Smooth out the perimeter of the oblong shape (see how smooth the oblong sides are in the photo). Place a layer of thinly-sliced deli ham down the oblong, leaving a bit of a margin. Follow the ham with the cheese (sliced, finely cubed or shredded). Last comes the finely diced hard-boiled egg.
Step 3
Wet your hands again and, using the foil to assist, lift the long sides of the oblong and fold them over the stuffing. Pinch the sides of the oblong together and close up both ends in the same manner.
Step 4
Take a close look at the meat loaf to look for any cracks in the meat. If you see any, use your wet hands to move the meat and patch the cracks.
Step 5
Sprinkle the sealed meatloaf with a tablespoon of breadcrumbs and gently pat the crumbs into the meat. Spray the top of the meatloaf and foil with cooking spray and fold up the foil to enclose the meatloaf, leaving some room for the steam to escape during cooking. Bake for approximately 45 to 60 minutes.
Step 6
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before slicing. It is best to refrigerate the meatloaf before slicing.
Prepare Sauce
Step 7
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in large saucepan. Saute onions and mushrooms, adding additional oil if necessary. Continue sauteeing until most of the liquid from the mushrooms has been absorbed. Add 1-½ cups beef, vegetable or chicken broth and crushed red pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer. Mix cornstarch in ¼ cup water and add a little at a time to the sauce, stirring until combined and until the sauce has reached the thickness you desire. Keep in mind the sauce will continue to thicken when it is reheated in the oven. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Assemble for reheating
Step 8
Slice meatloaf into ½ - ¾ inch slices.* Place in ovenproof baking dish. Pour sauce over and reheat in 350°F oven for approximately 30 minutes or until heated through. *If the meatloaf splits open during cooking, it is easiet to turn it over and slice it from the bottom.
Step 9
Enjoy!