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Italian Meat Loaf

A loaf of ground beef seasoned with Italian herbs, topped with ham and mozzarella, baked until melted.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 12 ingredients
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Why it works: Tomato and oregano are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 2% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,767 recipes. Both carry 2-hexenal, which smells green, leafy. The science ↓

Italian Meat Loaf

Oven350
Time1 hour

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare the meat

  1. Combine eggs, breadcrumbs, juice, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper and garlic.

  2. Stir in ground beef and mix well.

  3. Pat into a thick rectangle on foil.

  4. Put ham slices on top.

  5. Sprinkle shredded mozzarella on top.

  6. Roll up carefully using the foil pan.

Bake and serve

  1. Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 1 hour.

  2. Top with cheese triangles and cook 5 minutes longer to melt the cheese.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1155Calories
80 gProtein
42 gFat
106 gCarbs
What these numbers assume: 12 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Beef100g cooked250
Pork100g cooked242
Mozzarella Cheese1 oz (28g)85
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Tomato1 medium (123g)22
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Black Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Oregano1 tsp dried (1.8g)5
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Parsley1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)1
Salt1 tsp (6g)0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Tomato + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,767 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-hexenal (green, leafy).

  2. Parsley + peppertop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together34,122 recipes

    Shared aroma: 4'-methylacetophenone (bitter almond).

  3. Parsley + oreganotop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,184 recipes

    Shared aroma: estragole (anise, licorice).

  4. Oregano + garlictop 2% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together3,756 recipes

    Shared aroma: beta-phellandrene (minty, terpene).

  5. Tomato + garlictop 3% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together14,076 recipes

    Shared aroma: furaneol (caramel, strawberry).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Eggs
Bind the mixture so the loaf holds its shape when sliced.
Bread crumbs
Absorb liquid and keep the meat tender rather than dense.
Tomato juice
Adds moisture that keeps the lean beef from drying out as it bakes.
Lean ground beef
Forms the body of the loaf and provides savory flavor.
Mozzarella
Melts into the loaf and adds richness and stretchy texture.

The step that matters

Roll up carefully using the foil pan. Rolling the meat around the ham and cheese must be gentle so the layers stay intact. Tearing the thick rectangle lets the filling leak out during baking and makes the loaf uneven when sliced.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (egg, bread, tomato, parsley, oregano, pepper, garlic):

  1. Thymefits better
  2. Basilfits better
  3. Marjoramfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against egg, bread, tomato, parsley, oregano, pepper, garlic. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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