Lasagna Meatloaf: One Of Our Greatest Hybrids Yet

Do you want to (or rather, need to) prepare a large Sunday meal for the entire family, but you're torn on what to make? Maybe your partner is a meatloaf fan, but the kids always want a big plate of lasagna this time of year... so the question is: How do you keep everyone happy? Make both at the same time, of course! As you'll see, our delicious hybrid dish provides the perfect compromise.

You'll need:

For the ground meat mix:

  • 17½ oz ground beef
  • 2 tbsp parsley
  • 2 oz breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 2 eggs

For the filling:

  • 4 cooked lasagna sheets
  • 12 square-shaped slices of cheese

For the cream cheese sauce:

  • 14 oz cream cheese
  • 1 pinch pepper
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • ½ tsp salt

For the tomato sauce:

  • olive oil for frying
  • 1 diced onion
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 fl oz balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 13½ fl oz sieved tomatoes

For the garnish: 

  • 3 square-shaped slices of cheese

Here's how:

  1. First, add the ground beef, parsley, breadcrumbs, tomato paste, salt, pepper, garlic, and eggs to a bowl and carefully knead everything together by hand.
  2. Now use two thirds of the meat mix to line a loaf pan (ideally 4½ in x 8½ in), including the inside edges. The mix should be pressed down so that it is level and about 1 inch thick. You now have a rectangular meat mold in which to put the lasagna sheets, cream cheese mix, and cheese. Begin by placing a lasagna sheet inside.
  3. Next, mix the cream cheese with the pepper, nutmeg, and salt. Now take a large spoonful of this mixture and spread it on top of the lasagna sheet. Three slices of cheese are then placed on top of this. Repeat this process two more times. For the top layer, use up the rest of the cream cheese, before placing the final slices of cheese and a lasagna sheet on top.
  4. Use the rest of the ground meat mixture to create a "lid" to cover the last sheet of lasagna.
  5. Cook everything in a convection oven at 320°F for 30 minutes.
  6. The highlight of the dish is the tasty sauce. Start by sweating the onions and garlic in olive oil. Next, add butter and leave the mixture to caramelize. Now add the balsamic vinegar to deglaze and leave everything to cook for a short while. To finish, stir in the tomato paste, sieved tomatoes, salt and pepper. Leave everything to cook for a while.
  7. Place the lasagna meatloaf on a tray covered with baking parchment and pour the tomato sauce on top. Place the three remaining slices of cheese on top as the garnish. 
  8. Before digging into your tasty creation, place it back into the oven once more — this time for 10 minutes at 390°F with the top heat on.

Bonus Recipe: Cheesy Meatloaf

The full recipe can be found here.

It's fascinating to see how easily you can combine two dinnertime favorites to create a delicious dish that'll keep everyone happy. With its surprise filling, our meatloaf is also great for dinner parties.

Comments

Also hefty