Mortadella-Stuffed Meatloaf: the tasty main dish recipe you’ll love

Mortadella-stuffed meatloaf is an easy main dish recipe where you make meatloaf and stuff it with mortadella. Italian mortadella is a type of deli or luncheon meat made from cured pork with small cubes of pork fat. It’s sometimes flavored with black peppercorns, pistachios, or myrtle berries. It’s slightly different from bologna, where the meat and fat in bologna sausage are emulsified into a uniform mixture.

This dish is perfect for meat-eaters. Ground meat is stuffed with deli meat and filled with cheese? The result? All the flavor from a juicy meatball, with the stretchiness of cheese. Serve with your favorite sides as a satisfying lunch, or light dinner.

Tips

Use Italian sausage meat for extra flavor (try pork and fennel!).

You can also use ground turkey, lamb, or ground chicken. Substitute the Mortadella with salami, prosciutto or ham.

Feel free to add other fillings like boiled and sliced eggs, sliced olives, and anchovies. A popular Italian filling contains Mortadella, spinach, hard-cooked eggs, and provolone.

Don’t overmix the ground meat mixture, otherwise, the meatloaf will be too dense.

Add extra flavor to the meatloaf by adding a splash of Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, BBQ sauce, or soy sauce.

Add a glaze before the meatloaf goes into the oven. Use a mixture of ketchup and brown sugar, or gravy.

To check if the meatloaf is fully cooked through and safe to eat, test the temperature with a thermometer. It should read 160°F.

How To Store Mortadella-Stuffed Meatloaf

Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 3 days.

How To Make Mortadella-Stuffed Meatloaf

In a bowl add the minced meat.

Add in the parmesan cheese.

Stir in the breadcrumbs.

Add the pecorino cheese.

Add the salt, paprika, and pepper.

Add the eggs, and water.

Mix with your hands until all is well combined.

Transfer the mixture to the parchment paper and make a rectangle with your hands.

Place the mortadella slices on top.

Then top with the cheese slices.

With the help of the parchment paper, roll the meat upon itself forming a meatloaf.

Compact well then close the roll on both sides. Close the meatloaf with the film and transfer it to the pan covered with parchment paper.

Bake in the oven at 220°C/428°F for 40 minutes. After time has elapsed unwrap the meatloaf and bake at 220°C/428°F for 10 minutes.

Cut the meatloaf into slices and serve.

Notes

Serve the mortadella-stuffed meatloaf with roast potatoes, and steamed broccoli.

Leftovers can be used as a sandwich filling.