Beef Roll Italiano

An easy variation to the standard meatloaf with surprises hidden in the middle! It looks the same until you cut it into slices and the melted cheese oozes out of the center. But the taste is the big surprise - spicier, jazzier and Italian!

Beef Roll Italiano

1 pound lean ground beef 1 pound sweet (mild) Italian sausage 1/2 medium onion, grated or finely chopped 1 egg 1 cup fine breadcrumbs 1/2 cup finely grated Paremsan cheese 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon granulated or powdered garlic 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/3 cup water 1 1/2 cups ragu sauce 3 cups grated mozzarella cheese 3/4 cups grated parmesan cheese 1/2 pound bacon, diced then fried until crisped - drain on paper towels 6 fresh basil leaves, slivered (optional)

-Place ground beef, sausage, onion, egg, breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, worcestershire sauce, salt, powdered garlic, black pepper and water into a large mixing bowl. Using your hands or a strong wooden spoon, mix the ingredients until well combined. (If it bothers you to handle raw meat with your bare hands, try wearing cooking poly gloves as you work.)

-Place a sheet of wax paper or parchment paper on a counter, then spread the meat mixture out to roughly a 12-inch by 10-inch rectangle. Press so that the thickness of the meat mixture is uniform.

-Spread the surface of the meat with 1 cup of the ragu sauce, then sprinkle on 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese. Finally, sprinkle the bacon bits over the cheese. If using the fresh basil leaves, spread them over the top as well.

-Starting at the longest edge and lifting up the paper to help you, tightly roll and lift the meat mixture over the filling, to the other side to create a rolled meatloaf. (Pull the paper out as you roll so that it doesn’t become rolled up in the meat roll itself.) Wrap the paper firmly around the roll to help it keep its shape, then place it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour up to overnight.

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

-Grease a 9x13-inch baking casserole dish well, then gently, unroll the meat roll from the paper and place the roll seam side down in the dish.

-Place the meat roll into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven about 45 minutes into the cooking time, spread 1/2 cup ragu sauce over the top, then sprinkle the top with another cup of mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and bake until the meat roll has completed cooking. To make sure that the roll is cooked through, bake until the internal temperature reaches 160°F.

-Spoon off extra fat that may have accumulated in the bottom of the baking dish. Allow to rest at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves 8 - 10

PERSNICKETY NOTES:

**Go ahead and include other great fillings in the center of your meatroll to include olives, peppers, sauteed onions and mushrooms - anything you enjoy on pizza or in ragu sauced pasta dishes!

**Try a different theme - perhaps Beef Roll Monterey with Tex-Mex fillings such as salsa, Monterey Jack cheese, green chiles and bacon!

Combine ingredients for the meat mixture then pat out on a piece of waxed or parchment paper to an evenly thick rectangle. Spread ragu sauce over the top.

Spinrkle mozzarella and parmesan cheese over the sauce.

Finish with another sprinkling of bacon bits.

Using the paper to help you, firmly lift and roll the meat up into a log shape. Cover with the paper and chill for about an hour.

Unwrap the roll from the paper then place seamside down in a well-greased casserole dish.

Toward the end of baking, smooth the remaining ragu sauce along the top, then sprinkle with a bit more cheese and continue to bake until done.

Bake until the meat is cooked through and the cheeses are ooey-gooey in the middle.

An easy variation to a standard meatloaf with hidden treasures of flavor, cheeses and Italian spices in the center!