This week, after being gone for a week, I was scrambling to get a menu together. Normally, on Sunday I shop for the week and plan the menu. This Sunday, I went to bed at 3:30 pm because I was so tired from the Disney Cruise. I’m not complaining, but I was suffering from family overload. My early bedtime flushed my weekly plan down the garbage disposal.
On Monday, slightly more refreshed and well rested, I ran to the store and just grabbed jar sauce. I decided RAGÚ Pasta Sauce was the perfect solution for a meatloaf recipe that I have been dying to try. RAGÚ Pasta Sauce is a great choice for the family because it has no artificial flavors, no high fructose corn syrup, and no artificial history.
I’ve heard of people soaking the bread in chicken broth and I decided to soak the bread with RAGÚ instead. Normally, you see people pouring pasta sauce on top of meatloaf, but I was extremely curious to see what it would be like as an ingredient. We are big tomato fans in this Italian family so I am always looking for creative ways to include tomatoes in my weeknight dinners. Tomatoes are extremely nutritious. They are filled with antioxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, Vitamin A and Vitamin C. The antioxidants present in tomatoes are scientifically found to be protective against cancers, including colon, prostate, breast, endometrial, lung, and pancreatic tumors. The Italian Meatloaf came out extremely yummy and it is good for you!
This Italian Meatloaf recipe is the perfect easy weeknight dinner recipe that you can make on the fly without stressing. For sides, I decided to go traditional with a quick mashed potatoes and green beans. For the mashed potatoes, I diced up 2 large russet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. Boil the potatoes for 12 minutes and strain the potatoes. Put them back in the pot and add 1/4 cup milk, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp butter, season with salt and pepper. Mash everything together. For the green beans, toss them in a bag with 1 tbsp of light olive oil. Lay out on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tender.
This Italian Meatloaf recipe is the perfect easy weeknight dinner recipe that you can make on the fly without stressing. For sides, I decided to go traditional with a quick mashed potatoes and green beans. For the mashed potatoes, I diced up 2 large russet potatoes into 1/2 inch pieces. Boil the potatoes for 12 minutes and strain the potatoes. Put them back in the pot and add 1/4 cup milk, 1 minced garlic clove, 2 tbsp butter, season with salt and pepper. Mash everything together. For the green beans, toss them in a bag with 1 tbsp of light olive oil. Lay out on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tender.
Easy Italian Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 Cup Sun-dried Tomatoes
1/2 Cup RAGÚ Old World Style Traditional Sauce
2 Pieces of Sliced Bread
1 Clove of Garlic, diced
1 Shallot Onion, diced
2 Springs of Rosemary, strip leaves off and chop
1 tsp light olive oil
Instructions
Wash and dry all produce.
Heat up the oven to 400 degrees F.
Mince shallots and garlic clove.
Strip the rosemary off the stem and chop the leaves.
Dice up the sun-dried tomatoes.
Soak the bread slices with 1 cup of RAGÚ Old World Style Traditional Sauce.
Break up the bread with your hands until it is paste.
Knead together garlic, shallots, bread paste, rosemary, and ground beef.
Create a loaf and place onto a lightly greased cookie sheet.
Bake on 400 for 40 minutes.
Be sure to download the coupon for $0.55 off TWO RAGÚ 16-24oz and $0.50 off ONE RAGÚ 45oz.
Pin to Save for Later and Share
Heyy! Please accept my heartfelt gratitude for such an excellent recipe. It’s a favorite of my kids, and they beg me to make it every weekend. My wife and I also like having this dish as a way to unwind after a long day at the office. Because it’s so simple and you don’t feel weary, it’s a real blessing.