Italian Meatloaf with Mozzarella

I wanted to change this up a bit by adding Mozzarella and Gouda to my Italian Meatloaf recipe.  Mozzarella takes longer to melt but the taste goes together marvelously! 

Ingredients:
3 Eggs
1 Cup Breadcrumbs (Tightly Packed)
Seasoning (Alpine Touch, Garlic Powder, Mediterranean Oregano, Mediterranean Basil, a couple of dashes of red pepper flakes)
1 1/2 lb Ground Beef
1/2 lb Ground Italian Sausage
1 Cup Mozzarella (grated)
1/2 Cup Gouda (grated) (or another smoked cheese)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine the eggs, bread crumbs and seasoning.  Mix thoroughly.  Crumple the meat over the mixture and mix all together.   Press half of the meat mixture into a loaf pan.  Sprinkle 3/4 of the cheese over the top of the meat.  Pat the remaining meat mixture on top of the cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 60-65 minutes.  Turn off the oven.  Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and let sit in the warm oven for about 10 minutes to melt the cheese.  Remove the meat loaf from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.  Serve & Enjoy!

Combine the eggs, breadcrumbs and seasoning in a large mixing bowl

Add the hamburger and sausage and mix thoroughly

Add half of the meat mixture into the meatloaf pan

Top with 3/4 of the Cheese

Pat the remaining meatloaf on top of the cheese and place in oven

Top with remaining cheese and return to oven

Deviled Eggs help add to the tastiness if you want to whip some up with your meatloaf is cooking

Cheesy and delicious

Serve & Enjoy!

Pizza Pot Pies

December Main Dish Winner!  A delicious winning dish.  Pretty easy and great tasting.

Ingredients:

 1 lb Italian Sausage

Seasoning (Basil, Alpine Touch, Garlic Powder, Oregano)

2 Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts  (softened as directed on the box)

 3 Cups Tomato Basil Sauce

1 Cup Black Olives (chopped)

1 Tbsp Dried Basil

2 Cups Grated Mozzarella Cheese

1 Cup  Grated Three Cheddar Cheese

Directions:

Add the sausage to the pan and season.  Brown on medium heat.

Heat oven to 375°F. Remove pie crust from pouch; unroll on cutting board. Place 14-oz ramekin  on crust; cut 1/4 inch from edge of ramekin to make crust round. Cut 3 more crust rounds from crust.  You should be able to make a third one from the initial crust if you combine the remaining dough and roll it out with a rolling pin, or you can just cut two from the second crust (they are sold in packs of two anyway)

In a bowl, mix sausage, black olives and sauce. Fill each 14-oz ramekin 3/4 up with sausage mixture. Sprinkle each with mozzarella cheese and basil.

Wet inside of each crust round; place over filled ramekins. Press down around edge of crust rounds. Sprinkle tops with Cheddar cheese. Place ramekins on cookie sheet.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crusts are lightly browned.

Brown Sausage

Mix the sauce, sausage & black olives together in a bowl

Add the sausage mixture 3/4 of the way into the ramekin

Add the basil

Top with the mozzarella cheese

Cover with the pie crust

Top with the cheddar cheese

Cook until browned and cheese is melted. 

 

To view the past winning main dishes you can click on any of the following links:

Lasagna Stuffed Manicotti 

Pumpkin Risotto 

Burgundy Pork 

Pizza Casserole Recipe

This was my first attempt at a this recipe, when I came across it looked delicious and I knew that I had to try it.  While making it I of course improvised some things, it wouldn't be my cooking if I didn't do it.  I want to point out that my step by step photos are not as prevalent as they usually are.  This is because the recipe that I used did not match up with the cooking methods, the size of pan and definitely not the way that it was portrayed in the picture.  So although I tried to make it work using what I was given and that is what the pictures reflect I want to give the ingredients and recipe for what it SHOULD be and will be the next time that I cook it.  There was absolutely NO problem with taste, it was very delicious and I highly recommend this recipe, especially my version of it. 

Ingredients:

12 oz Rotini Pasta (I used Penne for lack of Rotini but Rotini would have been better)

1 lb ground Sausage (Seasoned with basil, & oregano)

36 oz pasta Sauce (or more depending on taste)

1 16 oz container of Cottage cheese (also could substitute Ricotta Cheese)

1 can of black olives (sliced)

12 oz shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 6 oz pack of sliced ham (or canadian bacon, the store I went to only had large slices)

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease 9x13 casserole dish.  Bring lightly salted water to boil and cook pasta over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes.  In skillet cook sausage on medium heat until browned.  Drain grease.  Mix in the pasta and the sauce and pour into the casserole dish.  (I would suggest adding half of the olives into this mixture).  In a bowl mix the cheese (ricotta or cottage or even softened cream cheese), olives (mushrooms if you would like) and mozzarella together.  Spoon over the pasta and top with the ham.  Add a thin layer of cheese over the ham.  Bake 25 minutes or until bubbly.  Remove from oven allow about 5 minutes to cool before serving.  Enjoy!

 

Boil the noodles and brown the sausage

Mix the sauce, pasta & sausage together

Pour the pasta into the casserole dish and top with the cheese mixture, placing the ham on top and adding a thin layer of cheese, Cook for 25 minutes.