Russ usually eats whatever I put in front of him, preferring to be surprised, but every once in awhile he comes up with a request. When I was menu planning this weekend, he mentioned that we haven’t had meatloaf in a long time and that it sounded really good. I cringed inwardly.

As a general rule, I really dislike meatloaf. There have been a few occasions where friends have served it and I’ve really enjoyed it, but those have been few and far between.

Over the years, I have been trying to find a meatloaf recipe that I could even marginally enjoy. We’ve had dozens of meatloafs, but for 30 years it’s like a once a year thing. For some reason Russ liked them all, but I’ve never warmed up to meatloaf.

During this same discussion, Russ also asked me to make some Chicken Parmesan. Inspired, I decided to make a mash-up of the two which became Meatloaf Parmesan. The result was good enough to write down and make again. I could even be persuaded to take leftovers for lunch.

Ingredients

1 pound Ground Geef
1 pound Ground Pork
15 ounces Ricotta Cheese
2 Large Eggs
1 1/2 Cups Italian Style Bread Crumbs (I used Progresso brand)
1/2 medium yellow onion,grated or processed fine in food processor
1 Tablespoon Worchestershire Sauce
1/4 tsp. Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
32 ounces Marinara Sauce, divided (purchased or homemade) 
1 1/2 Cups shredded Mozzarella
1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan

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Instructions

1. Preheat ove to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients up the salt and pepper. Add in 1/3 cup Marinara Sauce. Combine well and form into a loaf in a 13 X 9 pan.
2. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
3. Carefully remove dish from oven, remove foil, pour remaining Marinara Sauce on top. Add shrededded cheeses on top.
4. Return to the oven and bake uncovered another 30-40 minutes until fully cooked and cheese is browned on top.
5. Remove from oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice into squares, spoon reserved sauce from pan on top and serve.