About six servings; the quantity in parenthesis adds about two servings.
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef 96/4 (1 ½ lbs. ground beef)
1/2 lb. ground mild Italian sausage (¾ lb. ground mild Italian sausage)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small to medium chopped bell pepper (We prefer the red)
1 tsp. olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stems fresh oregano, leaves stripped and chopped
2-3 leaves fresh basil, chopped for meat loaf
1-2 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped for topping
1 tsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs)
4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese incorporated into meat
3/4 C. shredded mozzarella for topping
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2-3 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup marinara sauce, plus 1/2 -3/4 cup more for topping (1 cup)
In a large bowl, add the ground beef and sausage, onion and peppers along with all remaining ingredients reserving 3/4 C. mozzarella cheese for topping. Dive in and mix with your hands.
Once it has all come together, place and mold the mixture in a baking dish of your choice. Cover the top of the meatloaf with marinara sauce. Sprinkle bacon pieces over sauce.
Place in a 400 degree oven for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining cheese and sprinkle a little dry basil over the top. Return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the thickness of your loaf.
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