Recipe by request: Italian Meat Loaf

Even though the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, and provolone add a sophisticated flair to this meat loaf, it’s still downright homey. Meatloaf is a dish of ground meat formed into a loaf shape and baked or smoked. The loaf shape is formed by either cooking it in a loaf pan, or forming it by hand on a flat baking pan. It is usually made from ground beef, although lamb, pork, veal, venison, and poultry or a combination are also used. This recipe is your standard beef, although I’ve had it with a combination of pork and beef before (extra delicious). In Italy meatloaf is called “polpettone” and it can be filled with eggs or ham and cheese.

Ingredients

• 1  cup  boiling water
• 1/2  cup  sun-dried tomatoes, packed without oil
• 1/2  cup  ketchup
• 1  cup  seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3/4  cup  finely chopped onion
• 3/4  cup  chopped fresh basil
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
• 2  large egg whites
• 2  garlic cloves, minced
• 1  pound  ground round
• Cooking spray
• another 1/3  cup  ketchup

Preparation

1. Combine boiling water and tomatoes in a bowl; let stand 30 minutes or until soft. Drain tomatoes; finely chop.
2. Preheat oven to 350°.
3. Combine 1/2 cup ketchup, breadcrumbs, and the next 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Add tomatoes to meat mixture. Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread 1/3 cup ketchup over meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into 12 slices.