Say good-bye to boring, flavorless meatloaf and make Pizza Meatloaf instead. Made with pizza seasonings and stuffed with cheese, this recipe for Meatloaf is filled with incredible flavor and simply the best meatloaf you will ever eat!
Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf is an easy recipe that will delight even the pickiest of eaters. Serve with a side of Parsley Potatoes and Steamed Green Beans, for a simple, hearty family meal.
My mom's recipe for meatloaf is the BEST recipe for Meatloaf.
Made with a combination of Italian sausage, pizza sauce, Italian seasonings, and lots of cheese, this Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf is reminiscent of pizza not only in flavor but in the way even the pickiest eaters devour it and beg for second servings.
Ingredients Needed
- Meat: I suggest using a combination of lean ground beef with ground Italian Sausage. Feel free to use ground turkey in place of the beef and/or turkey or chicken sausage in place of the pork sausage.
- Pizza Sauce: If you don't have pizza sauce on hand, feel free to use a good quality jarred spaghetti sauce or homemade spaghetti sauce.
- Bread Crumbs: Use unseasoned bread crumbs to help bind the meatloaf together. I prefer the texture of panko breadcrumbs, but traditional breadcrumbs work as well.
- Cheese: Shredded Mozzarella is the best cheese to stuff the meatloaf with, as it melts really well and the flavor lends itself perfectly to the seasonings in the meatloaf. If you don't have Mozzarella cheese on hand, use sliced provolone cheese or a blend of shredded Italian cheeses.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step One: Combine Ingredients
The order in which you combine the ingredients is KEY in determining how tender and flavorful the resulting meatloaf will be. It is essential to mix the seasonings and binding ingredients together BEFORE adding the meat, so all the flavors are evenly distributed without having to overmix the meat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the pizza sauce, seasonings, egg, and bread crumbs until well combined.
- Add in the sausage and ground beef and gently mix into the binders to just combine. Do NOT overmix the meat or the meatloaf will be tough and dry after baked. I often find it is best to use your hands to evenly mix the meatloaf mixture.
Step Two: Stuff the Meatloaf
- On wax or parchment paper, flatten out the meat into a rectangular shape (about 6 by 10 inches.)
- In the center of the meat mixture, cover with cheese.
- Roll the meatloaf into the shape of a loaf, with the cheese being in the center of the loaf.
- Place the stuffed meatloaf onto a broiler pan.
- Spread pizza sauce on top of the meatloaf and sprinkle with additional cheese.
Step Three: Bake
- Bake meatloaf for 1 hour, or until the center reaches 165 degrees.
- Allow the meatloaf to rest for 10 minutes after removing from the oven before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Leftover meatloaf can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Alternatively, you can wrap the meatloaf in foil and then place it into a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator and warm through in a 350-degree oven or microwave.
- I highly recommend baking your meatloaf on a broiler pan to let the fat drain away as it is rendered while the meatloaf cooks.
For gluten-free meatloaf, use gluten-free breadcrumbs or oats in place of the regular breadcrumbs.
Instead of using a combination of ground meat and sausage, use 1.5 pounds of ground meat and add in an additional teaspoon each of garlic, red pepper flakes, and onion powder, to account for the flavor lost from the Italian sausage.
More Family Favorite Dinner Recipes
If you tried this Stuffed Meatloaf, I would love for you to leave a comment below. I love hearing how your family enjoys these recipes!
Stuffed Meatloaf
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ pound Italian sausage
- 1 cup pizza sauce divided
- ½ cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 8 ounces 1 cup shredded or sliced Mozzarella or Provolone cheese, divided
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Mix together eggs, bread crumbs, salt, oregano, parsley, parmesan, and ⅓ cup pizza sauce together until well combined.
- Add in ground beef and sausage and gently combine, being careful to not overmix your meatloaf mixture.
- Flatten and top with ⅔ cup mozzarella or provolone cheese.
- Roll meat around cheese and shape into a loaf.
- Place meat on broiler pan or loaf pan and top with remaining sauce and cheese.
- Bake for 1 hour, or until the center reaches 165 degrees.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then slice and serve.
james washington
I made this and it was amazing. No complaints.
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing James! 🙂
Andrea
So how did all of you make this and put the cheese on top and bake it for an hour without the cheese burning?!?!
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Andrea! If your oven holds the correct temperature, the cheese should not burn at all. If you notice it browning, feel free to tent with foil. Hope that helps!
Beth
What an easy and tasty twist on the classic meatloaf! Delicious!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad your family enjoys this recipe Beth!
Lynda Brown
Yummy,, this was super easy and very tasty. Even for picky kiddos. Thank you- this is one for the rotation!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoyed Lynda!
Nellie Tracy
This is a delicious meatloaf recipe! My family loves it for weeknight dinners
Kristen Chidsey
My family does too! I love hearing you enjoy it as well.
Erika
I made this last night, with a couple of tweaks, and it was fantastic! I added diced onions and doubled the recipe because I have a 17 year old who can eat half his weight in food! It was full of flavor and perfectly seasoned. You're one of my go to food bloggers for good reason!!
Erika
I forgot to add that I spread out half the meat, topped it with cheese and spread the remaining meat on top. Since I made so much, there was going to be no loafing! 🤣
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks so much Erika! I love hearing how much your family enjoys my recipes. And great idea adding diced onions.
Merry
I CAN HARDLY WAIT to make this meatloaf! I am low-carb to control my diabetes so I wanted to share something I’ve learned recently! Another blogger used plain pork skins/rinds for a replacement for bread crumbs as there is still that necessary binding but no carbs or gluten, etc! Just had to share 🤗
Kristen Chidsey
Oh that is a great tip for keto meatloaf! Thanks for sharing!
Chris
Excellent! Easy recipe smells so good baking, rolled meatloaf using parchment paper no seems no leaking of cheese!
Kristen Chidsey
Great tip using parchment paper to roll meatloaf. Glad you enjoyed Chris 🙂