Scusami! This is not your average meatloaf
This recipe was inspired by my friend Joan, who is a fantastic cook with an open mind. She worked in the Detroit-Windsor auto sector along with coworkers from a variety of ethnic groups and spoke fondly of how they would exchange recipes.
When Joan offered make us dinner one day, she served what she called Italian Stuffed Meatloaf, a recipe she got from an Italian coworker. Everybody thought it was amazing and I just loved how she had elevated the mundane meatloaf to the epicurean realm.
Today there remains a vibrant Italian community in the Windsor-Essex region. You can experience some authentic Italian cuisine with a visit to Via Italia, the biggest Little Italy business district in the region.
Sicilian Stuffed Meat Roll
The rotolo is Italian seasoned minced beef stuffed with ham and cheese, and glazed with tomato sauce.
Ingredients
Meat Mixture
- 1½ lbs. lean ground beef
- ¾ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- ½ cup finely chopped white onion
- 1 garlic clove finely minced
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp dry onion soup mix
- ¼ cup chili sauce
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp oregano
- ¼ tsp anise
- ¼ tsp crushed dried chilies
- ½ cup passata or crushed tomato for the glaze
Filling
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 2-3 thin slices Prosciutto Cotto cooked ham
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a large bowl, combine mixture ingredients
- Evenly roll out the mixture onto plastic wrap or wax paper making a ½ inch layer
- Make a second layer with the ham slices
- Spread out the cheese as the third layer
- Roll up the layers as a jelly roll with the help of the wrap/paper underneath
- Close the ends and form into a loaf shape
- Spray a broiler rack with non-stick spray then place loaf onto rack
- Coat loaf with the passata or tomato sauce
- Add a little water to the bottom of the broiler tray
- Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes
- Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving
Notes
You can make your own variation of the stuffing, using other Italian cheeses like Parmesan, Pecorino, and adding spinach or basil leaves. Refrigerate left over rotolo and serve the next day as a cold appetizer as you would a pâté or terrine.
Side dish suggestions
- Italian Bean Salad
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Potatoes with Mirepoix
- Butter-Braised Brussels Sprouts
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