A Layered Twist On Meatloaf You Probably Haven't Tried Yet

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It's hard to choose between meatloaf and a lasagna bolognese recipe for the all-time best comfort food. Between the rich, meaty flavors and desirable textures of both, these two are classic dishes that are hard to beat. Of course, if you truly want to get the best of both worlds, you might try a hybrid dish that combines them. Try preparing your next lasagna with your favorite meatloaf ingredients for an extra-cozy offering that's sure to satisfy.

Preparing a lasagna-style meatloaf is a simple way to maximize your mealtime by making the most of a classic meatloaf recipe-based filling. Tender noodles and savory meat are perfectly matched in this new take on two traditional recipes. You can fully customize this meal to suit your preferences, taking all the tastes and textures you love best and layering them into a large-scale baked dish. 

Whether you choose to use beef, pork, turkey, or even lentils in your loaf, you can take your favorite meatloaf recipe and layer it between sheets of lasagna noodles and include a generous portion of creamy ricotta or mozzarella cheese to balance everything out. For the optimal finishing touch, add a sweetened tomato glaze in place of the red sauce in a traditional lasagna. Though time-consuming to assemble, this food is hearty and built to last, making it a meal worth returning to on the regular.

If using traditional lasagna noodles, be sure to boil them until they are cooked to the point of being al dente, or use a no-boil version like 365 by Whole Foods Market No Boil Lasagne. You'll want your noodles to hold up to the baking process and beneath thick layers of ground beef, pork, turkey, or any other of your preferred meatloaf fillings. Like a traditional meatloaf recipe, prepare the lasagna filling using breadcrumbs and a beaten egg as a binder, along with Italian spices and seasonings. This will give the filling a more meatloaf-like texture.

Depending on how cheesy you want your meatloaf lasagna, try a mix of shredded parmesan and mozzarella cheeses in between each layer. For more traditional lasagna flavors, layer ricotta sans seasoning on top of your meat filling in between noodles. Make sure the very top layer of your meatloaf lasagna is a layer of meat, which you can cover with a sweet tomato sauce before baking.

Give your lasagna-style meatloaf more tomato flavor by spreading a thin layer of sweet tomato sauce in between your meat and cheese layers. Reserve some of this to glaze the top of your last meatloaf layer to crust and bake in the oven. Mix up a tomato glaze using ketchup, white vinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder for a robust and complementary addition. With this innovative and delicious recipe, you no longer have to choose between meatloaf and lasagna.