Comments: I’d never understood people’s love for meatloaf…until this recipe came along. As good as this meal is the first time, the leftovers are even better. On that subject, don’t skimp of the quality of the roll you buy for the next-day sandwich.
Ingredients
- 35 Saltine squares (or most any cracker)
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (casings removed)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fontina cheese, shredded (can use Parm, too)
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- Red sauce (go high end. This recipe is SOOOOOO worth it)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400. Cook on the center rack.
- Spray boiler-save 13 x 9″ baking dish with vegetable oil. Place saltines in a zipper-lock bag, seal bag, and crushed saltines to find problems with a rolling pin. Whisk saltines, milk, and eggs together in a large bowl. Let sit until saltines are softened, about five minutes.
- Whisk saltine mixture until smooth paste forms. Add beef, sausage, Parmesan, granulated garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.
- Transfer beef mixture to prepare the dish. Using your wet hands, shape into 9 x 5″ rectangle; the top should be flat and meatloaf should be 1 1/2 inches thick. Pour sauce over the meatloaf. Cover dish with aluminum foil and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until meatloaf registers 160°, one hour five minutes to one hour 15 minutes.
- Remove sheet from oven, uncovered dish, and sprinkle meatloaf evenly with fontina. Heat broiler. Broil meatloaf until cheese is melted, about two minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes.
- Using two spatulas, transfer meatloaf to cutting board. Spoon off any excess grease from the tomato sauce. Sliced meatloaf 1 inch thick. Transfer slices back to sauce in the dish, sprinkle with basil, and serve.
Bonus: Meatloaf Sandwich Leftovers. Take the time to procure some kind of special bread for the leftovers. Toast the bread, reheat the meatloaf adding mozzarella cheese to the top as well as red sauce. Enjoy.
