Recipe 1: Italian Meatloaf

To all my meat lovers (you know who you are, don't be shy), this is an excellent main dish that can be served for dinner alongside roasted potatoes or rice pilaf or even a healthy bowl of salad. As you all will soon get to know, we're always open to trying new alternatives to make commonly prepared meals. This Italian Meatloaf is probably one of the most unique meatloaf recipes out there. It was inspired by the beautiful Laura Vitale (find her on youtube at Laura in the kitchen and her website is http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/).

Let's get straight into business, shall we?

Ingredients:

Minced turkey (healthier option), Minced meat - 1 ½ pounds
Onion- 1 small, finely chopped
Garlic cloves- 2, minced
Genoa salami- 4 ounces, chopped into cubes
Eggs- 4 hard boiled and 1 raw
Bread crumbs, ground oatmeal (healthier option)- ¼ cup
Whole milk, Almond/ Soy/ Coconut milk (healthier options)- 2tbsp
Provolone cheese (sharp)- ½ cup
Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese (not the dry stuff)- ¼ cup
Parsley- 2tbsp, finely chopped
Olive oil- 2tbsp, divided
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)

Alright, so that was the hard part, now on to the fun part :).

Preparation: (5 easy steps)

Step 1) Cook the onion and garlic in 1 tbsp of olive oil for 5 to 6 minutes. After this, let the mixture cool.

Step 2) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees farenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle a little olive oil to stop meatloaf from sticking. If you do not have parchment paper, olive oil on the pan would work just fine.

Step 3) In a large bowl, mix together the cooled onion and garlic mixture, parsley, bread crumbs, parmiggiano, raw egg, the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil, milk and the salami. Season with salt and black pepper, add the turkey and mix until everything is combined but don’t overwork the meat.

Step 4) Put the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten out to get rid of any air pockets. Add ½ of the provolone along the middle lengthwise and place the 4 hard boiled eggs on top. Add the remaining provolone around the eggs and carefully shape into a loaf covering the eggs making sure its all the same thickness so it cooks evenly.

Step 5) Bake for 45 to 55 minutes and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

And voila, we're done. Easy right? 

Now sit back and enjoy this yummy meal with your choice of red wine (we suggest a fruity flavored red wine to step this meal up a notch).

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. 

So until next time, bon appetit!!

xoxo #foodgasm
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