Italian Stuffed Meatloaf (polpettona ripiena)

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SURPRISE...

I love things with a surprise center!  This is amazing on so many levels.  The top is mostly a traditional meatloaf with a naturally sweet soffritto (mixture of sauteed onion, carrots and celery) adding a new taste to traditional!

The center is a bunch of vegetables!  Not only spinach, but onions and carrots as well.  the green ends of the scallions add a chive taste!

And the Provolone Cheese adds flavor to the vegetables, plus seeps into the bottom half of the meatloaf, providing an all new taste.

Genius and DELICIOUS!!!

While the ingredient list looks long and complicated, honestly the recipe just needs to be done in simple steps...  finish one, move on to the next and soon you have the best meatloaf EVER!

And just so you can get this right yourself, there are PLENTY of how to pictures at the bottom of the post showing how to get everything right!

OK... Here's What I did...

Italian Stuffed Meatloaf 

(polpettona Ripiena)

Ingredients

• 2 TBS Olive Oil
• 1 Medium Red Onion, minced (for the Soffritto)
• 2 Medium Carrots, minced (for the Soffritto)
• 3 Stalks Celery, minced (for the Soffritto)
• 1/2 Cup Parsley, Chopped fine (for the Soffritto)
• Salt and Pepper Pinch of each (for the Soffritto)
• 4 Cloves Garlic, minced (for the Soffritto)
• 2 Pounds Ground Beef
• 1 Pound Italian Style Pork Sausage
• 1 Cup Spinach
• 4 Medium Carrots, cut lengthwise and quartered for long thin pieces
• 3 Cups Italian style Bread Crumbs
• 1 Cup grated Pecorino Romano Cheese
• 2 Eggs
• 3/4 Cup Whole Milk
• 12 Scallions, hairy end cut and the long pieces cut in half for long thin pieces
• 12 slices Genoa Salami
• 1/2 pound Provolone Cheese, freshly shredded
• 1/2 Pound Thick Slice bacon

Cooking Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
2. First, make the Soffritto... In a heavy bottomed Saute pan, heat the Olive Oil over medium heat.
3. Add the minced Carrots, Celery and Red Onion. Saute for about 5 minutes until the Red Onions turn translucent.
4. Add the Garlic and Parsley and stir for an additional one minute, Add a pinch of salt and pepper and that is the Soffritto!
5. Meanwhile, In a large bowl, combine the sausage, beef, 3 cups of the breadcrumbs, the Pecorino Romano Cheese, eggs, milk, and salt and pepper.
6. Meanwhile, the Soffritto should be finished. Add that to the meat mixture, but reserve the oil in the pan. Mix gently but thoroughly with your hands. Cover and refrigerate.
7. Add the long carrots to the oil and saute for 5 minutes. Then add the spinach and sliced scallions to the carrots and oil and saute for just a couple of minutes until just wilted, add a pinch of salt and pepper.
8. OK, now form the loaf... take the meat mixture. In a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, use 3/4ers of the meat mixture and make a flat rectangle about 1 foot by 2 foot.
9. Lay the 9 slices of the salami out in the center (see photos instructions below)
10. Lay the carrot pieces, scallions and spinach, arranging them lengthwise down the rectangle.
11. Lay the Provolone over the vegetables and top with the remaining salami.
12. Lay the remaining meat mixture out on top and roll up the sides and ends to meet, do your best to seal the edges so nothing leaks.
13. Lay out bacon slices across the loaf,tucking ends under.  this helps to hold the loaf together as well as adding bacon to the taste!
14. Bake the polpettona for 1 hour, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 F.
15. Carefully transfer the loaf to a cutting board and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
16. Slice 1 inch thick,
17. Serve HOT and ENJOY!

BEST MEATLOAF EVER!!!  Really delicious on so many levels!

Soul warming indeed and worthy of being added to my "52 Authentic Italian Recipes".

And as promised... Easy Peasy once you start by thinking of making this in steps... Here's a few HOW TO photos to get you on the right track...

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So,  I am pleased to list this as one of my Growing list of  "52 Authentic Italian Recipes"!!!

Well over 52 recipes actually as I just can't stop. The world's most popular cuisine, authentic, natural, organic, Farm to Table... the Italians started, perfected or embraced it before it became a fad. This page is a guide to Italian Cooking... For the home cook!  So, Cin Cin (toast) and Buon Appetito (Enjoy your Meal) to you all and let's Cook authentic Italian!

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