May 12, 2010

Cheesy Italian Meat Loaf

"For-a-Crowd" Recipes, bell peppers, cheese, Ground Beef, main dish, Pork, slow-cooker, veal

Presented by

32 ratings

Prep time: 10 minutes
cooking time 4 to 6 hours (in the slow cooker)
Servings: 8
Partner: Farmhouse Corn & Tomatoes

For an extra touch, Grandma topped this flavorful meat loaf with slices of provolone.

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce, divided
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup chopped onion (about 1/2 large)
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (about 1/2 large)
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork or veal
1 cup shredded Asiago cheese

Directions

1

Reserve 1/3 cup tomato sauce; cover and set aside in refrigerator. Combine remaining tomato sauce and egg in large bowl. Stir in onion, bell pepper, bread crumbs, Parmesan, garlic powder and black pepper. Add beef and pork; mix well and shape into a loaf.
2

Place meat loaf on long strips of aluminum foil. Lower meat loaf into slow cooker using foil strips.
3

Cover and cook on HIGH until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted in center of the meat loaf registers 170?F, about 4 to 6 hours.
4

Spread reserved tomato sauce over meat loaf. Sprinkle with Asiago. Cover and cook on HIGH until cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Remove meat loaf from slow cooker using foil strips.

Grandma's Secret Trick

On busy days, a savory meal was often simmering away in Grandma's slow cooker. Because she used her slow cooker often, Grandma knew that lifting the lid during cooking was a no-no. Every peek allowed the heat to escape and added 15 to 20 minutes to the cooking time. Instead, she spun the slow cooker's clear lid until the condensation dripped away so she could see the food without lifting the lid.