This Italian-inspired meatloaf combines ground beef and pork with fresh herbs, Parmesan, and a tangy-sweet glaze. The addition of buttermilk-soaked panko breadcrumbs ensures each bite is moist and flavorful. Baked until golden and brushed with a zest glaze, it’s both hearty and satifying! It’s great for a busy weeknight because you can make it ahead, or even a bigger, fancier meal for serving guests. When I saw this featured on The Next Food Network Star years ago, I knew I had to make it…and I wasn’t disappointed! Even the picky eaters at my house love this one.
Sara recently posted an awesome Glazed Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf and while there are some similarities, this one definitely has kind of an Italian vibe going for it while the other one has, well, bacon.
Ingredients Needed
- ketchup
- barbecue sauce – I love Cattleman’s Kansas City BBQ Sauce
- brown sugar
- Creole (or other favorite) mustard. The original recipe from Mary Beth’s recipe calls for brown sugar, ketchup, and your favorite barbecue sauce, but I felt like it needed a little more tang to offset the spicy sweetness, so I added in a tablespoon of Creole mustard (although I think probably any mustard would work).
- buttermilk – a must in this recipe!
- panko bread crumbs
- extra-virgin olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- parsley
- fresh basil
- tomato paste
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- ground beef In the neighborhood of 85% lean–if it’s too fatty, it’ll be greasy, but if it’s too lean, it will be dry
- ground pork (lean, if you can find it, and even lean ground pork isn’t particularly lean unless you grind a lean cut yourself)
- fresh Parmesan cheese
How to Make Italian-Style Meatloaf
This is a simple overview of the recipe, you’ll find a full printable recipe below!
- Preheat to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Combine ketchup, barbecue sauce, mustard, and brown sugar in a small saucepan; keep warm.
- Sauté onions and garlic, then add tomato paste, herbs, salt, and pepper; set aside to cool.
- Combine panko with buttermilk and let soak briefly.
- Gently combine ground beef and pork with the cooled herb mixture, Parmesan, and panko mixture.
- Form into a loaf on the prepared pan, brush with glaze (reserve some), and bake 50 minutes, brushing every 10 minutes with the glaze.
- Let rest for 5 minutes, slice, and serve with reserved glaze, salad, and potatoes; leftovers are great for sandwiches.
Storage & Other Tips
- To make this as a freezer meal: Prepare meatloaf through shaping it. Place it on a lined baking sheet and freeze, then remove from oven and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze the reserved sauce separately. When ready to bake, remove from foil and plastic wrap and place on a lined baking sheet. Thaw reserved sauce. Bake at 425 for 90 minutes or until an internal thermometer reads 165. Baste with the reserved sauce every 10 minutes for the last 45 minutes of baking.
- To freeze leftovers: wrap tightly in plastic wrap, followed by another layer of aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for 5 – 6 months.
- To make ahead: you can make this about 12 – 24 hours (max) in advance. After assembling, cover and refrigerate until ready to bake.
Italian-Style Meatloaf
Ground beef and pork with fresh herbs, Parmesan cheese, and a tangy-sweet glaze, this Italian-style meatloaf is both flavorful and hearty. Perfect for guests or a weeknight meal!
Servings servings
Equipment
Ingredients
Glaze
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1 cup barbecue sauce I love Cattleman’s Kansas City BBQ Sauce
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Creole or other favorite mustard
Meatloaf
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅓ cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, small minced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- ¼ cup parsley, fresh
- ⅓ cup basil, fresh chopped
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 ½ pound ground beef in the 80-85% lean ballpark
- ½ pound ground pork lean, if you can find it, and even lean ground pork isn’t particularly lean unless you grind a lean cut yourself
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, fresh shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
- Combine the ketchup, barbecue sauce, mustard, and brown sugar in a small saucepan and heat over low, stirring occasionally.
- Heat 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent and fragrant. Add the tomato paste, chopped basil, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and set aside.
- Combine the panko and buttermilk and set aside for about 5 minutes.
- Gently combine the ground beef and ground pork. Add the cooled herb/tomato paste mixture, Parmesan cheese, and panko/buttermilk mixture and gently combine with your hands.
- Shape the mixture into a free-form loaf on the prepared baking sheet. Reserve ½ cup of the glaze and set it aside. Brush with a coating of the glaze from the pan, then place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 50 minutes or until an internal thermometer reaches 165℉. While the meatloaf is cooking, generously brush it every 10 minutes with the glaze from the pan (not the reserved glaze).
- When the meatloaf is done, allow it to stand for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve with the reserved sauce, a green salad, and potatoes. Leftovers are amazing, especially between slices of hearty white bread or on a hoagie roll.
Notes
Freezer Instructions:
Prepare meatloaf through shaping it. Place it on a lined baking sheet and freeze, then remove from oven and wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze the reserved sauce separately.
When ready to bake, remove from foil and plastic wrap and place on a lined baking sheet. Thaw reserved sauce. Bake at 425°F for 90 minutes or until an internal thermometer reads 165°F. Baste with the reserved sauce every 10 minutes for the last 45 minutes of baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 392kcal, Carbohydrates: 43g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 6g, Trans Fat: 0.3g, Cholesterol: 76mg, Sodium: 1018mg, Potassium: 696mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 34g, Vitamin A: 766IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 89mg, Iron: 3mg
Calories: 392kcal
Cost: $10
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Questions & Reviews
I’ve come across another great buttermilk substitute…one part milk to one part plain yogurt. You can use it immediately and it has a more true-to-buttermilk flavor than the ones that result from adding lemon juice or vinegar to milk, which I’ve also tried. I make my own yogurt and almost always have plain yogurt on hand, which is helpful, but I know that’s not typical. I’m intrigued by making buttermilk itself, gonna have to give that a try too!
My husband is dairy-free and gluten-free. Do you think this recipe would work with gluten free bread crumbs and soy milk? Or does that defeat the purpose? My 17 month old daughter LOVES meatloaf so I’m trying to find a recipe that I can make for my husband to enjoy as well, or it’s just way too much meatloaf!
We are not meatloaf people but this one ROCKED! Can’t wait to eat it again 🙂
Buttermilk, from the “Joy of Cooking”: Combine: 1 quart skim milk (at room temperature), 1/2 cup buttermilk (at room temperature), 1/8 teaspoon salt. Stir well and cover. Let stand at room temperature until clabbered. Stir until smooth. Refrigerate before serving. Store as for fresh milk.”
Very simple, very easy. Personally, I don’t see any reason to bring the ingredients to room temp before mixing – it’ll just take a little longer to clabber. I also don’t think the proportion of buttermilk to skim milk is critical, and I’ve never added salt to mine.
I’ve been cooking for YEARS!! Southern, to boot and I don’t think I’ve heard the term ‘clabbered’…just googled it sure enough…there it is! Funny~
I noticed you use tin foil a lot! Do you not like using parchment paper? I use it a lot and love it! Just wondering?
I love parchment, too, but I tend to use it for thing like baking cookies and cakes and use foil for things I wants to be crispy (like our oven-baked fries) or where we need to contain a potentially disastrous mess (like here with the sugary glaze).
Seriously! Thank you for using your stalker skills and finding this recipe! I have been wanting it since I saw Mary Beth make it. My family will LOVE this, so much!
I love the Next Food Network Star show! I have been watching it since it began.
I, too, am a huge fan of Amazing Race…can’t wait for the next season!
This looks delicious! I plan to make this when the weather cools down.
YEAH! I’ve basically never made anything from your site that my husband doesn’t LOVE. And I LOVE meatloaf (and he sometimes likes it) This is a big win!! (and I may look into that “home made” buttermilk too!!
Oh, I loved the Season 1 winners – Dan & Steve. I miss their show. I miss all the older FN shows. :/
This meatloaf is amazing. I looked the recipe up last month and found it on her website. The panko/buttermilk really gives it a lighter texture. We LOVE meatloaf and this one is definitely a winner!