Use Your Favorite Pizza Ingredients To Take Meat Loaf To A New Level

Meat loaf is a classic, comforting meal that rose to fame during The Great Depression. Today, it's still a household staple, but variations have been born through the years. You can turn this hunk of meat into just about any style with a few extra ingredients, and next time you're craving pizza, try adding in your favorite pizza toppings.

For a unique experience, start with mozzarella. Place half of your meat mixture in the loaf pan, then add mozzarella to the center, and cover it with the other half of the meat mixture. When you slice into the meatloaf, that gooey, melty cheese will spill out, creating a delicious twist on the classic recipe. Instead of topping the dish with ketchup, add some tomato sauce, and complete it with a layer of pepperoni. As the loaf bakes, the pepperoni will get nice and crispy, adding some extra texture to the dish. At the end, you have a pizza-inspired dinner with all the protein and ease of meatloaf. For something less layered, just add the cheese, pepperoni, and any other pizza toppings right into the meat mixture itself.

You can make meat loaf with just about any ground meat you choose, though ground beef is especially common. But for a little extra spice — and to stick with that pizza flavor — try adding ground hot Italian sausage into the beef mixture, too. You can add another layer of mozzarella over the tomato sauce before baking, or just grate some fresh Parmesan over the sliced meat loaf upon serving.

Chopped onions, fresh garlic, bell peppers, or even chopped Italian long hots are all easy ways to boost the meat mixture's taste. If you're using a leaner meat mixture, the flavor won't be as rich, so don't be shy about the seasonings. Kosher salt is great for bringing out flavor, plus anything from black pepper to onion powder and dried oregano can be put to good use. And swap basic breadcrumbs for corn bread crumbs for something a little different. Finally, cook the meat loaf to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, but not much higher, or you'll risk drying it out.