Anna's "Polpettone".... Layered Meatloaf

With the arrival autumn and the cooler weather, we search out comforting food. To get away from pasta dishes, meatloaf seemed like an appetizing alternative. Although it wasn't a regular dish on my parent's table, meatloaf, "polpettone" (large meatball) does originate from the basic meatball recipe. This is my take on meatloaf with an Italian twist, a mix of veal, pork, and beef stuffed with tasty layers of  tomatoes and spinach, zucchini, caramelized onion and mushrooms. The golden brown topping of panko breadcrumbs with Parmigiana Reggiano, parsley, garlic,and extra virgin olive oil seals in all the meat's juices and provides a crunch to every bite. I hope you enjoy !
  
Ingredients:
Fillings:
1/2 large sweet onion chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 large zucchini with peel, sliced (about 2 cups)
2 cups chopped tomatoes
4 cups baby spinach
1 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped
dash of salt and pepper

In a frying pan heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the chopped onion and cook until golden. Add the mushrooms and cook until both are caramelized. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Using the same pan, add some additional oil, and saute the zucchini slices until golden. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool.
Add  the tomatoes to the pan and allow to stew and the liquid to reduce. Toss in the spinach and cook for a minute. Should their be excess water, simply drain the mixture or pat with a paper towel. Allow to cool.

Onion mushroom, zucchini,and tomato spinach mixtures for the three layer filling

 Topping:
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
handful of fresh Italian parsley chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
1 garlic clove finely chopped
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir to combine. The breadcrumb mixture will glisten with the addition of the oil, which turns the topping crunchy and  a lovely golden brown


Meatloaf:
2 pounds, minced veal, pork, and beef  mix
4 eggs
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Tamari soy sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large mixing bowl, add the meat, eggs, breadcrumbs and the remainder of  the ingredients and mix with your hands to combine.
To assemble the meatloaf, place half of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 5"x9" loaf pan and pat down gently. Spread a layer of the tomato/spinach mixture on the meat.  Add the zucchini on top of  the tomato/spinach layer and spread evenly. Place the onion/mushrooms on the zucchini and spread the remainder of the meat on the stuffing. Top with the prepared breadcrumbs and bake in a 350º F oven for 1 hour.
 

 

 

                                                                     
 
Juicy and tender meatloaf with all that caramelized goodness and crunchy breadcrumb topping.