A few weeks ago I shared my mother’s fabulous Best Meatloaf. I was sure and still am that it is the best meatloaf out there, even though I haven’t tried very many others. Talking about food as Italians love to do we talked about everything from pasta to bread to meat dishes. One that popped up often was meatballs. So what does meatloaf have to do with meatballs? well in Italian, a classic meatloaf recipe is translated to Polpettone (meatballs = polpette) which means Big Meatball. This delicious big meatball is baked like one of these easy meatloaf recipes. Naturally the first time I tried this Easy Classic Italian Meatloaf it was baked by my mother-in-law. To make it nice and moist she would soak the bread in milk instead of water.
Spring has sprung!
This is a great weekend lunch or dinner recipes, wonderful served with roasted potatoes or while the easy Italian Classic Meatloaf is baking why not bake some scalloped potatoes.
Before it gets too hot to turn on the oven, why not give a meatloaf an Italian flare? I would love to know how you like it. Buon Appetito!
- 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 kilo
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese 70 grams
- 2 slices bread
- 1/2 cup milk 100 grams
- 1/4-1/2 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley 8-15 grams
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 1/2 grams
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Pre-heat oven to 350° (180° celsius).
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In a small bowl add milk and soak the bread, squeeze out excess moisture, add to a large bowl with the rest of the above ingredients, combine well, form into a ball or log.
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On a large plate add 1/4 cup bread crumbs and roll log in crumbs. Bake for approximately 50-60 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before cutting. Enjoy!
I have been making this meatloaf for about 2 years. My 92 year old mother loves meatloaf. I was looking for a simple recipe that had bread soaked in milk, I had heard that it made a really moist loaf. This recipe is perfect for her older palate. I make large batches every time I go home to Texas to visit. I slice them, put it between the round sandwich thins, which I cut in 1/2 ,wrap them in freezer paper and freeze them. She jokes that she has lunch with me every day. Sometimes it’s the simple things in the kitchen that bring the most joy. In this case it makes my Mom very happy. Thank you.
Hi Mary Louise, so glad to help and that is so cute that she says she has lunch with you everyday. You are right it’s the simple things that are the best. Have a great week.
Hi Rose – can’t wait to try this. Question: have you ever tried this with chicken? I thought it might be an easy way to cut back on the fat.
Hi Atlas, I have never made this with chicken, but I think it would work just fine, let me know.
I love meatloaf. Unfortunately it’s one thing my husband doesn’t care for, so I rarely make it. Your recipe looks so simple, yet so delicious! I look forward to trying it, and who knows, maybe my husband will even like it.
I always learn something new from your blog! Now I’m going to be saying “polpettone” all day, lol. This giant meatball looks and sounds amazing!
Hi Veronica, haha, I would love to hear you say it! Have a great weekend.
It certainly looks delicious. It’s been years since I made polpettone although we make polpette frequently. We like freezing them and having them on hand. I married into a German family and they love food just about as much as Italians do. All conversations always turn to cooking and eating 🙂 Thank you for sharing.