If you’ve grown tired of making traditional meatloaf, Pizza Meatloaf is the easy comfort food recipe that you need to spice things up. Chop up pepperoni, or any of your favorite pizza toppings, to mix into this homemade meatloaf with some melted mozzarella cheese!
Pizza Meatloaf – Two Comfort Foods in One!
You’ve had meatloaf, and you’ve had pizza… but have you tried them together? No? This recipe might just be lifechanging, then. Pizza Meatloaf is all of the tastiness of cheesy, pepperoni pizza, packed into a loaf of juicy ground beef instead of a crust!
Usually when I announce that we’re having meatloaf for dinner, my kids are less than thrilled. However, when the word pizza is thrown in, the atmosphere changes dramatically. (Pepperoni and gooey mozzarella cheese are the best defense against pick-eating tendencies, in case you were wondering.) Enjoy this super simple comfort food dinner, and feel free to customize what you add in!
Recipe Ingredients
As is usually true for most comfort food recipes, the ingredients list for this homemade meatloaf is pretty short:
- Pepperoni: If you would rather use another meat, like bacon, feel free!
- Ground Beef: I prefer to use lean ground beef for this recipe.
- Egg: Will bind the meat together and add moisture.
- Cheese: I like to use both mozzarella and ricotta cheese in this meatloaf.
- Seasoning: You’ll need thyme, garlic powder, oregano, crushed red pepper, and salt.
- Breadcrumbs: Italian breadcrumbs work really well, as do Panko breadcrumbs.
- Sauce: Use your favorite tomato sauce (I like Homestyle Ragu sauce*) or pizza sauce.
*I LOVE the new Homestyle Ragu sauces…they are thick and taste super fresh. I would even use this in place of pizza sauce on a homemade pie! There are no artificial flavors, no high fructose corn syrup, and the flavor is super bold. I really, really love it. I found it at my local Stop & Shop.
How to Make Pizza Meatloaf
If you’ve got busy school/work nights, Pizza Meatloaf is a great dinnertime solution. It only takes about 15 minutes to put together, and then you just have to let it bake, which means you can go do other things while you wait, if need be!
Prepare: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl using your hands combine pepperoni, ground beef, egg, ricotta cheese, thyme, garlic powder, oregano, breadcrumbs, salt, and red pepper.
Layer the Meatloaf: Divide the mixture in half and place half of it in the prepared pan, forming into a loaf shape, creating a shallow well. Place the cheese slices in the well of the ground beef mixture. Top the cheese with the remaining meat mixture, making sure to seal the cheese inside, so it doesn’t leak out.
Add Sauce & Bake: Spread half of the Ragu Sauce on top of the meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes.
Bake Again: Remove the meatloaf from the oven, spread the remaining sauce on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Serve warm.
Tips for Success
And that’s it! Simple, right? Here are some extra tips so you can make sure you get the best results with your meatloaf:
- Ground Beef Substitutes: Italian sausage can be mixed in with your ground beef for extra flavor. Ground turkey is also good as a meatloaf base if you don’t want to use beef.
- Mozzarella Substitute: Mozzarella is the best cheese to use because it melts so well, but provolone will also work in a pinch.
- Other Add-Ins: Onions, spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and any other pizza toppings you can think of, will all taste amazing in this meatloaf!
- How to Know If the Meatloaf is Done: Stick a meat thermometer in the center, or thickest part, of the meatloaf and make sure it reads 165°F. Try not to overcook it – dry meatloaf is not an experience you want to have!
Serving Suggestions
Wondering what to serve with Pizza Meatloaf? Here are a couple of ideas:
- Garlic Bread: Everybody knows that garlic bread (or Garlic Knots) goes perfectly with pizza, so why not pizza meatloaf?
- Salad: For a lighter option, a green salad is a good idea – and if you have time try this Homemade Ranch Dressing with it!
- Roasted Vegetables: Asparagus, broccoli, etc. – whatever your go-to veggies are.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Leftovers (if you’ve got ‘em!) can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 days. When you want to reheat the meatloaf, bake in the oven at 350°F again until the desired temperature is reached, or simply microwave.
Can I Freeze Extras?
Yes! Store extras in an airtight container, or wrap them in aluminum foil and seal them in a freezer bag. Make sure to eat the leftovers within 3 months, and thaw them in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Pizza Meatloaf
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Yield: serves 6
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you’ve grown tired of making traditional meatloaf, Pizza Meatloaf is the easy comfort food recipe that you need to spice things up. Chop up pepperoni or any of your favorite pizza toppings to mix in with some melted mozzarella cheese!
Ingredients
- 6 ounces pepperoni chopped
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 8 ounces sliced mozzarella
- 1 cup Homestyle Ragu sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl using your hands combine pepperoni, ground beef, egg, ricotta cheese, thyme, garlic powder, oregano, breadcrumbs, salt, and red pepper.
- Divide the mixture in half and place half of it in the prepared pan, forming into a loaf shape, creating a shallow well. Place the cheese slices in the well of the ground beef mixture. Top the cheese with the remaining meat mixture, making sure to seal the cheese inside, so it doesn’t leak out.
- Spread half of the Ragu Sauce on top of the meatloaf and bake for 45 minutes.
- Remove the meatloaf from the oven, spread the remaining sauce on top and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
- Serve warm
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*Sponsored post by Lunchbox. All opinions are my own.
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Yum! This is a great way to get kids excited about meatloaf!
I made this tonight for dinner and everyone loved it. The only thing I changed was the garlic powder. I only used 1/2 tsp. since 1 tsp. seemed like a bit too much. It was really good and will be making again. Only suggestion I would make would be to put the meatloaf on a rack first, since a lot of grease accumulates on the bottom of the pan.
Oh my gosh. The cheese. The meat. Perfect weeknight meal!
It’s been too long since we’ve enjoyed meatloaf around here. LOVE this pizza twist!!
This combo is completely genius!!! So making for dinner this week!
Another one to add to my list 😉 I think I made 5 from your cookbook this weekend and another three on tap. A friend picked me up some Gruyere to make the grilled cheese sandwiches this week. The chocolate chip caramel bars are delicious and have been a huge hit both at home and work. Can’t wait to bake up the Lemmy’s tonight! This pizza meatloaf is definitely going on the menu – soon!
I LOVE hearing this!!! I would also love it if you posted some pictures of your treats on facebook or Instagram and tag me! I love seeing what people are making!!
Pizza Meatloaf?! Oh yah, this is so happening for dinner 🙂
Two delicious, comfort foods in one? This is the ULTIMATE and I need it for all the dinners for the rest of my life. Pinned!
When I first saw this recipe, I thought it was a pizza flavoured substitute for all pizza fans who are on low-carb diet, and actually can not have it. In fact this recipe serves both – meat and pizza lovers.
Definitely adding this to the “to try” list. We all love meatloaf and this looks amazing!! Isn’t Ragu sauce a miracle? I always have a jar in the pantry.