Pizza Meatloaf is a delicious recipe for cheese stuffed meatloaf! Ground beef, Italian sausage, and pizza seasonings are wrapped around a gooey center or cheese and makes to ooey, gooey, perfection! This Stuffed Meatloaf is so much better than Classic Meatloaf!
Nothing reminds me more of my childhood dinners around our oak dinner table, than my Mom’s Pizza Meatloaf.
What you ask, is Pizza Meatloaf?
It is a Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf with Italian flavors.
And it is the BEST meatloaf you will EVER eat!
Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
Dinner at my house as a child was a family event.
We gathered around our large dining room table and fought about where each of us kids got to sit. One meal we all could agree on was my Mom’s Pizza Meatloaf with mashed potatoes.
This recipe for meatloaf is not a classic meatloaf recipe–it is SO Much better!
When my mom made meatloaf, she mixed up a mixture of flavorful meat, pizza sauce and stuffed it with gooey cheese and baked smothered in more pizza sauce and topped with more cheese.
This is seriously the recipe for the BEST Meatloaf ever!
How to Make Stuffed Meatloaf
Step One: Prepare Meatloaf mixture
- Mix together the pizza sauce, Italian seasonings, egg, and bread crumbs until well combined.
- Add in the meat and mix to just combine–do NOT overmix the meatloaf, or you will have dry, tough meatloaf.
Step Two: Stuff the Meatloaf
- On wax or parchment paper, flatten out the meat into a rectangular shape (about 6 by 10 inches.)
- Top with cheese.
- Roll the meatloaf into shape of a loaf.
- Place on broiler pan.
- Top meatloaf with additional sauce and cheese.
Step Three: Bake Meatloaf
- Bake meatloaf for 1 hour, or until center reaches 165 degrees.
- Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Tips on Stuffed Meatloaf
- I like to use a mixture of lean sirloin and chicken sausage, but you can use all ground chicken, ground beef, a mixture of ground pork and beef, or half pork sausage and half ground beef. If you are NOT using sausage in this meatloaf, add in an additional teaspoon each of garlic, red pepper flakes, and onion powder.
- I highly recommend baking your meatloaf on a broiler pan to let the fat drain away as it is rendered while the meatloaf cooks.
- You can certainly use homemade marinara sauce in place of pizza sauce–in fact that is what I most often do.
- Feel free to use gluten free bread crumbs in this Pizza Meatloaf–it will work just fine.
More Comforting Recipes Inspired by Mom
Stuffed Meatloaf Recipe
Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 pound Italian sausage I used ground Italian chicken sausage
- 1 cup pizza sauce divided
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces 1 cup shredded or sliced Mozzarella or Provolone cheese, divided
Instructions
- Mix meat with eggs, bread crumbs, salt, oregano,parsley, parmesan and 1/3 cup
- pizza sauce.
- Flatten and top with 2/3 cup mozzarella or provolone cheese.
- Roll meat around cheese and shape in loaf.
- Place meat on broiler pan or loaf pan and top with remaining sauce and cheese.
- Bake at 375 for 1 hour.
Kristen Chidsey
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I used mozzarella, parmesan, and Colby. Used bourbon barbecue and syrachi sauce for glaze. Came out extremely awesome!
Sounds like some delicious substitutions Michael! Glad you enjoyed.
This looks so yummy! I know my whole family would love it!
Thanks Serena! I am sure your family would!!
No boring meatloaf anymore!
That is for sure!
I used to not be a huge fan of meat loaf – till I saw this! Dang, Kristen, this cheesey pizza loaf looks scrumptious!
LOL! Yep, this will make any one a believer!
So innovative!
Thank you Megan <3
Pizza is my love language for sure, but I also love leftover meatloaf, so this is all kinds of a win for me!
Yes it is Rebecca!
I know my family will rave about this dish too. Thanks for sharing.
You bet Wendy–hope your family loves it!
I love this idea!
Thanks Anne 🙂
Whoa!! I totally want that!
Make it 🙂 And enjoy Sarah 🙂
Sounds like you had a really creative mom… your meatloaf looks fantastic! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Maria–it is funny because we didn’t think this was creative at all because we had it weekly 🙂 The first time I saw regular meatloaf, I was like “What is that?!!”
You know I’ve never actually made meatloaf, though I’ve thought of trying a variation on i in recent years but this looks tasty. Very creative!
Thanks Caroline–and like I said, I never had traditional meatloaf growing up, so this was all I knew (and we love it!)
Perfect timing – We are cutting down on carbs and this version will slide right in when we have the pizza cravings!
Yes, much less Carbs than pizza. You can even use less bread crumbs or oats too.
I often add Italian seasoning to a meatloaf. But I love the addition of the sausage. What a great idea your mom had.
Thanks Eileen–I agree. It was a great idea my mom had 🙂
I love the idea of a pizza flavored meatloaf complete with cheese! My guys would love this!
My family sure loves it Carlee!
This is a really clever twist on meatloaf and it sounds positively delicious.
Thanks Lynne, it is pretty tasty. I am lucky my mom thought of it!
I don’t blame you. If I were a kid and my mom served me Pizza Meatloaf, I would have been so happy! It looks delicious. Don’t change a thing!
Thanks Kimberlie! My kids LOVE it!
Your mom is a freaking genius, Kristen, and you can tell her I said so! I’m so glad you decided to share her pizza loaf.
Ha! Ha! Thank you Stacy, I will tell her that!
Mmmmm! That looks SO GOOD!!
Thanks Constance–such great comfort food!
I made an Italian meatloaf a few weeks ago, but your pizza version sounds so much better! Love that you added Italian sausage to the mix!
Thanks Liz. It is really the only meatloaf I enjoy 🙂
Tastes but the cheese oozed outas soon as it was cut. Any suggestions for making it like your picture.
I am glad you enjoyed the meatloaf. If you let the meatloaf cool for 20-30 minutes, you can slice the meatloaf with less ooze–and it should still be pretty warm.