I’ve been dying to make a stuffed meatloaf for quite some time now. Nothing too wild, just a Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf.
Besides stuffing the meatloaf with cheese, the only thing really different about this recipe is that it is freeform. Meaning you don’t cook it in a loaf pan like traditional meatloaf.
That being said, you can easily adapt this meatloaf recipe to use a loaf pan if you want. Just follow the instructions as-is except put the layers of meat and cheese in a loaf pan.
Ingredient Substitution
You can either use white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead of the red wine vinegar. Additionally, you can use shredded mozzarella cheese instead of slices.
Meatloaf Temperature
Our friends over at the USDA recommend an internal temperature of 160°F when cooking meatloaf. This should be enough to kill the salmonella.
You can take the meatloaf out of the oven at around 150°F and let it rest for 10 minutes. Check the internal temperature again before slicing & serving.
Baking Meatloaf
When it comes to baking your meatloaf, you have a couple of options. You can bake it the traditional way in a loaf pan or bake it on a foil lined baking sheet.
Depending on how lean your ground beef is, you may find the meatloaf sitting in grease. One way to avoid this is to shape the meat mixture into the shape of a loaf and bake it on a baking sheet. This will allow the grease to run off into the pan.
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Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Lean Ground Beef – I like to use 85/15 for meatloaf
- Bread Crumbs – unseasoned or seasoned
- Dried Basil – adds a sweet, slightly peppery, and aromatic flavor
- Dried Oregano – brings a bold, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor
- Fresh Ginger – provides a mild, fresh, and slightly peppery flavor, along with a pop of color
- Salt – a must for most recipes
- Ground Black Pepper – Freshly Ground as much as possible
- Milk – I like to use 2% milk
- Worcestershire Sauce – adds some Umami flavor
- Mozzarella Cheese – you can also use shredded cheese if you want
- Ketchup – I personally only use Heinz but you can use whatever brand you want
- Light Brown Sugar – you can also use dark brown sugar if you want
- Red Wine Vinegar – white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar will also work
- Garlic Cloves – Use more to taste if desired
- Cayenne Pepper – optional and to taste
How to Make Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, milk, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Mix until combined.
- Divide the meat in half. Shape half of the meat into the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Place the mozzarella slices down the middle, leaving 1/2 inch around the ends and sides. Place the remaining meat on top sealing the edges.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using).
- Pour half of the sauce over the meatloaf, reserving the remaining half for later.
- Bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove from the oven and pour the remaining sauce over the meatloaf.
- Increase the temperature to 400°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Printable Recipe Card
Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf
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Ingredients
Meat Mixture
- 1 lb Lean Ground Beef
- 1 Cup Bread Crumbs
- 1 Tsp Dried Basil
- 1 Tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 Tsp Dried Parsley Flakes
- 1 Tsp Salt
- ½ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- ½ Cup Milk
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 8 oz Mozzarella Cheese, sliced
Sauce
- 1 Cup Ketchup
- ¼ Cup Light Brown Sugar, tightly packed
- 1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- ⅛ Tsp Salt
- ⅛ Tsp Cayenne Pepper, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, basil, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, milk, and 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce. Mix until combined.
- Divide the meat in half. Shape one half of the meat into the bottom of the prepared dish.
- Place the mozzarella slices down the middle, leaving 1/2 inch around the ends and sides. Place the remaining meat on top sealing the edges.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, red wine vinegar, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper (if using).
- Pour half of the sauce over the meatloaf, reserving the remaining half for later.
- Bake for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, remove from the oven and pour the remaining sauce over the meatloaf.
- Increase the temperature to 400°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
This meatloaf was delicious. Very tasty especially with the mozzarella cheese in the middle.