Cheesy Italian Meatloaf is easy to make, and with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese in the middle and on top, it’s a delicious meal!
I came up with this meatloaf recipe after experimenting in our kitchen several months ago. I decided I wanted to make an Italian-inspired meatloaf, so I thought about what ingredients I wanted to incorporate and came up with this recipe. It’s easy to make, and yields between 6-8 servings, depending on how thick you slice it.
I’ve made meatloaf for years and years but wanted to try something “different”. I chose ingredients which are Italian sausage, ground beef, onions, garlic, Italian spices, Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, marinara sauce and went from there.
This layered, cheesy Italian meatloaf is the result we really think it is quite yummy! Here’s how to make it:
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Prepare The Meatloaf
Place ground beef, Italian sausage, garlic, milk, Panko crumbs, eggs, onion, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning into a large mixing bowl.
Using your clean hands or a large spoon, thoroughly mix these ingredients together. I usually get in there with my hands because it seems to get mixed together quicker!
Once mixed, divide the meatloaf mixture into two equal sized halves. Place half of the meat mixture onto wax paper and use your hands to shape it into a rectangle, about 9-10 inches long and 5 inches wide.
Brush 7 Tablespoons of marinara sauce over the top of the meatloaf half, evenly dividing it over the surface. Sprinkle ½ cup of grated mozzarella cheese evenly over the sauce.
Finish Making The Meatloaf
Use the remaining half of meatloaf mixture to cover the top of the meatloaf. I apply it in small “clumps” of meatloaf mixture, then gradually spread it out to mirror the bottom half in size.
The cheese should be fully covered with this top layer of meatloaf mixture. Now you should have a bottom layer of meatloaf, a filling of sauce and cheese, and a top layer of meatloaf mixture, okay?
Spoon enough of the remaining marinara sauce (a few Tablespoons) into a 11 x 7″ OR a 9×13″ baking pan to lightly cover the bottom.
Carefully lift the meatloaf and transfer it (minus the wax paper) to the baking dish. Brush the remaining marinara sauce over the top and sides of the meatloaf.
Baking The Cheesy Italian Meatloaf
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake the meatloaf in a preheated 375°F oven for 1 hour. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and immediately cover the top with the remaining 1 cup of grated mozzarella cheese.
Place the meatloaf (uncovered) back into the hot oven and let it cook for 10 more minutes. When done, the meatloaf should have an internal temperature of 165°F.
The cheese will have melted all over the top of the meatloaf and should be beautiful and bubbly! Let the cheesy Italian meatloaf “rest” for 2-3 minutes, then slice and serve!
Serve The Cheesy Italian Meatloaf!
We enjoy the cheesy Italian meatloaf served with creamy mashed potatoes and a veggie. As you can see in the photo below, there is a middle layer of melted cheese, and lots of marinara sauce and cheese on the top.
The ground beef and Italian sausage combination is a winner, along with all that sauce and cheese! YUM! When I eat this, it reminds me of eating Italian meatballs!
A Way To Use Leftover Cheesy Italian Meatloaf!
I have found that if we have leftover cheesy Italian meatloaf, it can also be re-purposed to make a new meal with little to no effort.
A couple days after we had the cheesy Italian meatloaf for dinner, I cut a couple slices of leftovers into small bite sized pieces and added it to homemade pasta sauce.
Once again, the spices, cheese, ground beef and Italian sauce flavor in the meat paired perfectly with spaghetti! Yahoo! What a great tasting way to enjoy “LEFTOVERS”.
I hope you have a chance to try this yummy meatloaf recipe and trust you and those you love will, enjoy it, as well.
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a wonderful day.
Looking for More MEATLOAF Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have other meatloaf-style recipes to choose from, including:
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↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Cheesy Italian Meatloaf is easy to make, and with marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese in the middle and on top, it's a delicious meal!
- 2 pounds hamburger meat
- 1 cup mild Italian sausage approx. 3 links, crumbled
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1½ Tablespoons Italian seasoning
- ⅓ cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 2 cups marinara sauce
- 1½ cups grated mozzarella cheese divided use
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Place ground beef, Italian sausage, garlic, eggs, milk, Panko crumbs, onion, Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning into a large mixing bowl. With clean hands or a large spoon, thoroughly mix these ingredients together.
Divide meatloaf mixture into two equal-sized halves. Place one half on wax paper, and use your hands to shape it into a rectangle, about 9-10 inches long and 5 inches wide. Brush about 7 Tablespoons of marinara sauce over the top of meatloaf half, spreading over the surface. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated mozzarella evenly over the top.
Use remaining half of meatloaf mixture to cover top of the meatloaf. (I add small "clumps" of meatloaf mixture, then gradually spread it out to mirror the bottom half in size). Cheese should be fully covered with this top layer of meatloaf mix. You should have a bottom layer of meatloaf, a layer of sauce and cheese, and a top layer of meatloaf mixture. Spoon a few Tablespoons of the marinara sauce into a 11 x 7" OR a 9x13" baking pan (to lightly cover bottom). Carefully lift meatloaf and transfer it (minus the wax paper) to baking dish. Brush the remaining marinara sauce over the top and sides of the meatloaf.
Cover dish with foil; bake in 375°F oven for 1 hour. Remove meatloaf from oven (discard aluminum foil); immediately cover top with remaining cup of grated mozzarella. Place meatloaf (uncovered) back into oven; cook 10 more minutes. When done, meatloaf should have an internal temperature of 165°F. The cheese will have melted, and be beautiful and bubbly! Let meatloaf "rest" for 2-3 minutes, then slice and serve! Enjoy!
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!