Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf

Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf is a favorite in my family. Topped with a sauce of bell pepper, tomatoes, and onions, this meatloaf comes out juicy and tender every time. Serve it with some crunchy rustic bread and then you have a perfect meal

---

Before I get to my Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf recipe, I have to give you some background about my love-hate relationship with meatloaf. If you're here just for the recipe, use my Jump-to-Recipe link above.

(There are also a lot of tips, though, so I hope you check them out!)

I used to hate it

I love my momma. And looking back, I truly appreciate the fact that she took the time to make home-cooked meals.

No matter how much my sister and I might have objected to the dinner du jour, we always knew, deep down, that it was made with love.

Lots of kids grow up on take-out food and that becomes the norm for mealtime. As adults, many of these kids will have entrenched, highly unhealthy (not to mention expensive) eating habits that they pass on to their kids.

So Mom gets a shout-out for teaching us right.

But Momma’s meatloaf very nearly scarred me for life.

And yes, she reads my blog. Don’t worry: I read this post to her before I put it up, because the LAST thing I wanted to do was to hurt her feelings. She thought it was hysterical. I also noticed Dad nodding in baleful agreement as I read.

As a matter of fact, I didn't understand why Mom thought it was SO hysterical until later that evening, when she shot me a text with the picture below.

---

It's a bit hard to make out, but I think you get the point. As it turns out, she had just made her meatloaf the night before.

She wanted me to put her picture in this post—and then send her my meatloaf recipe. Momma has a wonderful sense of humor. Thanks Mom, I love you.

To be fair, I’m sure that the recipe for Momma's meatloaf came from a reputable source like Betty Crocker or a church cookbook.

Although I will not recount the entire recipe for you, I will itemize its fatal flaws below.

Why I hated the meatloaf I grew up with

The recipe called for an envelope of Lipton Onion Soup Mix.

To be precise, GOLDEN onion soup mix.

There are plenty of nutritional reasons for not subjecting your meatloaf to this substance, but my main objection is that you completely lose control over the flavor profile. You end up with a one-note, sad meatloaf that is vaguely evocative of—you guessed it—soup.

You can build a TON of flavor into your meatloaf by using ACTUAL onions, herbs, cheese, and good ol’ S & P.

Sure, the soup mix has lots of other umami-building stuff like monosodium glutamate (MSG) and soy protein. You can take care of that with a few dashes of fish sauce (yes, really), Worchestershire sauce, or Maggi seasoning sauce.

The meatloaf was slathered in ketchup.

Now, right there I’m going to get a ton of hate mail from everyone who insists that meatloaf isn’t meatloaf without ketchup. If ketchup is what floats your boat, then by all means, use it.

For me, it’s too heavy and sweet. It also tends to burn…which is how I remember many childhood meatloaves (e.g., see photo above).

I prefer a light coating of tomato sauce, a sprinkling of Romano cheese, and S & P. But to each their own! Don’t hate!

The oblong loaf pan.

This ensured that the lower half of the meatloaf stewed in a combination of its own juices and grease. Said grease would then slowly congeal as the meatloaf cooled, forming a nasty, reddish-orange fat frosting.

I can’t think of many things in this world that are more unappetizing than that.

I solve this problem by lining a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Then I set the meatloaf onto a cooking-spray coated rack so that the drippings can fall onto the foil as the meatloaf cooks. No more fat-frosted meatloaf, and clean-up is a cinch.

Epiphany: meatloaf can be good

Over the years, I have come to realize that not all meatloaves are alike. In fact, some are very good. Even superb. And the leftovers offer limitless meal possibilities.

The last meatloaf I made yielded 3 meals for my family: of course, the requisite meatloaf dinner, then Italian grinders, and then a pasta dish featuring the remaining meatloaf crumbled into a tangy sauce of tomato, onion, and peppers.

My mouth is watering just thinking of it.

My go-to meatloaf nowadays—Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf—involves 1.5 pounds of ground meat. You can go straight beef chuck or mix in pork, turkey, chicken, or even veal.

---

Making Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf

What is in meatloaf?

Non-meat substances are a basic requirement for a meatloaf that is not a tasteless, dry, dense, meat-football. I add a cup of breadcrumbs: Panko works great, but you can use any kind you want—even crushed crackers. Although I haven’t ever tried it, you could certainly use oats or rice instead (experiment to find the correct ratio).

I always include a half cup of Romano cheese for a sharp, salty tang, but you can use Parmesan if you prefer a milder flavor. A half cup each of minced shallots and diced, roasted red bell peppers adds moisture and flavor.

In place of the bell peppers, you can substitute any variety of moisture-adding vedge: green chiles, spaghetti squash, or zucchini, for example.

A single large egg acts as a binder. I add a couple of tablespoons of tomato sauce, and a handful of minced parsley (flat leaf, please).

Mixing and assembling

At this point, I assess the meat mixture to make sure that it’s not too dry or too wet. If it’s too dry a mixture, I’ll add a tad more tomato sauce. For a too-wet mix, I’ll add another quarter cup of breadcrumbs.

You’ll develop a feel for the correct consistency. Keep in mind that if you’re using a leaner meat like chicken or turkey, it’s a good idea to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the mix. (Sure, you’re adding some fat back, but it’s good fat—and it’ll keep your meatloaf from drying out).

Tenting the meatloaf

Now, I set up my baking contraption, form my loaf, and set it on the baking rack. I try to make the loaf fairly uniform in thickness, since we don’t want a raw middle and overcooked ends.

After coating the loaf lightly in tomato sauce, I sprinkle on Romano cheese, salt, and pepper.

Next, I make a foil tent for the meatloaf during the first ¾ of the bake: this prevents scorching (e.g., blackened ketchup) and keeps the loaf from drying out.

Then, I put it in my preheated, 350° oven, and away we go.

After an hour, I remove the foil and use an instant-read thermometer to gauge the temperature. We’re looking for 160°: this can take anywhere from 1-1.5 hours.

The sauce for Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf

When I first made meatloaf for Phil, I made an interesting discovery: he likes sauce on his meatloaf. Like, actual SAUCE. It’s how his momma made it for him.

So, I set out to create a tasty “meatloaf sauce” from his description. Bell peppers, onions, and tomato sauce were involved. I decided to go for a tangier sauce, and what I came up with was a big hit. This sauce now does an encore performance as the sauce for Meatloaf Grinders, and as a fantastic pasta dish.

You can do so many things with leftover meatloaf and sauce!

To make the sauce, I slice green bell peppers, roasted red bell peppers, and Vidalia onions. I slowly sauté with minced garlic. Next, I add a pinch of pepper flakes if we’re in the mood for some spice.

When the veggies are soft and translucent, I add in a large can of crushed tomatoes and any tomato sauce that I have left from the meatloaf. Finally, I add 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar (or red wine vinegar) and 1 tablespoon of Splenda (or sugar).

The sauce simmers and gets happy for 45 minutes while the meatloaf bakes. YUM. I have to admit: Phil was right. The sauce punches meatloaf up to a whole new level.

What sides go with meatloaf?

Our favorite side dish for Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf is my Perfect Meal-Prep Mashed Potatoes. For this post's main photo, I also served a side of green beans: these were simply sautéed in butter, but Green Beans with Bacon and Onion would also be perfect.

For a lighter option, choose a salad like Meal-Prep House Salad with Thousand Island Dressing or Arugula-Shaved-Fennel Salad.

Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf freezes really well. I like to divide it up into single servings and Food Saver them: they make a super-easy meal for time crunches.

Below is my standard meatloaf recipe. It’s very easy to riff on, just as long as you keep the proportions of “meat substance” to “non-meat substance” roughly the same.

---

Meatloaf Leftovers

I make a lot of Mediterranean-Style Meatloaf so that I can get a few meals out of it. Any leftovers that I haven't eaten up after 2 days go into the freezer for a crazy-easy meal at some point in the future. No recipes required. Here are just a few ideas:

• Italian grinders: these are a simple matter of good hoagie rolls, chunks of meatloaf, and a dollop of sauce. Sprinkle some mozzarella and Parmesan on top, and bake them off in your oven or toaster until the cheese melts.
• Tangy meat sauce over pasta: here, you just crumble your leftover meatloaf into the sauce you made and eat it with pasta.

I'd suggest a pasta shape that likes to get saucy: penne, radiatore, or rotini, for example. Let the pasta finish cooking in the sauce: if it's too thick, add a ladleful of the pasta water and mix in. Sprinkle with parsley and pass the Parmesan at the table.

• Baked potatoes with meatloaf, sauce, and cheese: top your baked spuds with your sauced, crumbled meatloaf and any other toppings you'd like!

---

---

---

Don't miss a thing!

Follow me on Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram. PLUS, get easy dinner ideas and cooking hacks delivered straight to your inbox when you subscribe to the Flipped-Out Food Newsletter!

---