Prepare oven and pan. Preheat the oven and prepare a loaf pan or meatloaf pan with cooking spray or parchment paper.
Toss bread with milk. In a small bowl, toss the cubed bread with the milk. Set aside for 3-4 minutes to absorb. Milk should be pretty well soaked up.
Combine with seasonings. In a large bowl, or the base of a stand mixer, combine milk-soaked bread, onion, garlic, parsley, oregano and salt. Mix to combine into a paste.
Add meat. Add the ground beef and sausage, breaking into small pieces.
Combine with remaining ingredients. Before mixing, top with Worcestershire sauce, lightly beaten egg, dry bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, shredded mozzarella and marinara sauce.
Mix. Blend until just mixed, either using your fingers to toss or putting the stand mixer on low. Too much mixing will make your meatloaf tough, so only mix until barely blended.
Add to pan. Transfer meat mixture to baking dish of your choice, forming into a loaf as you go. You can make it free-form on a rimmed baking sheet, but I prefer using a meatloaf or bread loaf pan. Top with 1/2 cup marinara sauce.
Bake, add cheese. Bake uncovered. Remove and add remaining shredded mozzarella cheese and another shake of Italian seasoning (if desired) to the top of the meatloaf.
Bake again. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Allow to sit before cutting and serving. Serve with additional marinara sauce, if desired.
Variations
I love this flavorful meatloaf just the way it is, but there are several ways that you could make it your own.
Make it spicy – If you like your food on the spicier side, you can throw in some black pepper or red pepper flakes into the meatloaf mixture. You could also use this spicy marinara sauce.
Sandwiches – Have leftovers? A great way to use them up is to put a slice between two pieces of sandwich bread and turn it into a sandwich.
Mix up the meat – You don’t have to use ground beef with this meatloaf. You could use ground turkey or ground chicken in its place. Just be sure to use an instant read thermometer to make sure the center of loaf has a safe internal temperature.
Meatballs – You could use this same meat mixture and turn them into Italian meatballs instead of a meatloaf recipe. Follow my tips and tricks to better meatballs.
What to Serve Italian Meatloaf With
There are any number of things you can serve with this Italian meatloaf, but there are a few of our favorites:
Green beans
Garlic bread
Mashed potatoes
Green salad
Storage, Make Ahead and Freezing
Storage: If you’ve got leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for two to three days. We like to scrape the meatloaf sauce from the bottom of the baking dish and store that with the meatloaf, as well, since it offers a ton of flavor.
Make ahead: If you want to make this Italian Meatloaf easier, mix and form it the morning of OR the night before. Once shaped, place the meatloaf on the prepared baking dish and wrap tightly with plastic wrap before refrigerating.
Freezing: You can also freeze your leftovers. Make sure to wrap tightly with plastic wrap and put in a freezer safe container. It will stay for up to three months.
