Stuffed Meat Loaf

Who says meat loaf isn't company worthy. Let me assure you that when it's a meat loaf stuffed with savory, cheesy, vegetable goodness, it certainly is. I've been eying this recipe in Mario Batali's Molto Italiano for some time and finally with the cooler weather when heartier meals are more welcomed, I decided to put this together. I won't kid you, this meat loaf takes a little bit of time to put together, but it's not difficult. This was my first time putting it together and it probably took me an hour's preparation. Next time, because I know what to expect, the time will be much shorter. Plus, this is something that can be prepared earlier in the day and put in the refrigerator until you're ready bake it.

Let's start with the ingredients.

Stuffed Meat Loaf

1 pound ground lean pork
1 pound ground lean beef
2 cups, plus 3 tablespoons, fresh bread crumbs
1 cup pecorino Romano cheese, grated
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces baby spinach, stems removed, washed dried (I used frozen spinach, defrosted in the microwave, and removed excess water), blanched
2 carrots, cut lengthwise into about 6 slices each, and then boiled until just tender
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
6 slices Prosciutto di parma

2 sprigs rosemary (I used a couple teaspoons of dried)
1 cup water

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Putting It All Together

In a large bowl, combine the pork, beef, 2 cups of bread crumbs, pecorino Romano, eggs, salt and pepper. Using your impeccably clean hands, mix gently but throughly. Cover and refrigerate.

In the meantime, either blanche your fresh spinach in a salted boiling water, dipping in the leaves just until they're wilted. Dry on paper towels or spin dry in a salad spinner. Add the carrot slices to the still boiling water and cook for about ten minutes, drain, and set aside.

Combine the 3 tablespoons of flour with 3 tablespoons of bread crumbs. Dust your work surface with the mixture. (Here is where I parted company with Mario's directions. I used a long sheet of tin foil because I wanted to use my tin foil to help me roll the meat loaf in the next steps.)

Pat the meat mixture into a thick rectangle, about 16 inches by 6 inches on the dusted work surface. (I use a ruler specifically reserved for cooking.) Lay the spinach leaves over the meat, leaving a half-inch border on the short sides.

Lay the carrot slices over the spinach, lengthwise down the rectangle.

Add the prosciutto and the cheese. ( I forgot to take a picture of the cheese, but I think you have the idea.)

Now, starting from the long side, roll the meat up as if it were a jelly roll. Using the tin foil, simultaneously lift the two opposite long ends and gently turn and roll the raised edge to the inside. You'll have to run your hands down the length of the cylinder to help shape it and keep it tight. Repeat until the roll is complete.

Ta dah! You might want to give it just a little extra pat and make sure that the seam is pinched together.


Add one cup of water to the bottom of your broiler pan and the rosemary sprigs.

Now, because you were clever enough to use a sheet of tin foil as your work surface, you can cradle and lift the entire rolled loaf onto your broiler pan rack and gingerly roll the roll onto the rack so that it doesn't break apart.

I had to put my loaf on diagonally as it was too long for the broiler. Pour 1/2 cup of extra virgin oil oil over the entire length of the loaf.

Bake for approximately 1 hour at 400 degrees Fahrenheit or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. I checked at the end of one hour, and the internal temperature of my loaf was 180, so it was probably slightly overdone. If you have an insta-read thermometer, I'd start checking at 45 minutes.

Look at that golden crispy crust on this meat loaf. The house smelled absolutely sensational as it was baking. Five cats and an Ole Sweetie-Pi just couldn't stay out of the kitchen. My mouth was watering the whole time.


To remove from the rack, you'll need a thin spatula to release the underside of the meat loaf from the pan. I didn't have any real issue, and was able to move the entire loaf without breaking it. The pan juices made a nice gravy; I deglazed the pan, added some additional seasoning and thickening. Oooh, this was good.