Sausage and Peppers Meatloaf with Italian Roasted Vegetables
An Italian-inspired twist on a classic American comfort food. Meatloaf made with Italian pork sausage and ground chicken and flavored with sauteed onion, peppers and garlic will remind you of the classic sausage and peppers flavor combination you love but will also surprise you a little. Slow roasted potatoes, zucchini, peppers, and onions are the perfect complement.
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Italian
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 1 hourhour
Total Time 1 hourhour20 minutesminutes
Servings 4servings
Ingredients
Meatloaf
1lbItalian pork sausage
1lbground chicken
1Tbolive oil
½red bell pepper
½green bell pepper
½yellow onion
1garlic cloveminced
1egg
¼CItalian seasoned breadcrumbs
1Tbtomato paste
1tspItalian seasoning
1tsppaprika
1tspkosher salt
½tspgarlic powder
½tsponion powder
½tspblack pepper
½tspfennel seedcrushed
¼tspground oregano
¼tspcayenne pepper
Meatloaf Sauce
½Cketchup
1Tbbalsamic vinegar
½tspItalian seasoning
1Tbbrown sugar
pinchblack pepper
Vegetables
½red bell pepper
½green bell pepper
½yellow onion
1lbsmall red potatoes
1large zucchini
3Tbolive oil
½TbItalian seasoning
1tspkosher salt
½tspblack pepper
2Tbfresh basil
1Tbfresh Italian flat leaf parsley
Instructions
To make meatloaf
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Dice the onion and red and green bell pepper into ¼-inch pieces. Add 1 Tb olive oil to a medium saute pan and place over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the peppers and onions and cook for 5 minutes or until soft.
Add the minced garlic and stir to combine. Cook for one additional minute. Then pour the cooked vegetables into a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Once the vegetables have cooled slightly, add the egg, tomato paste, and all of the spices and mix together with a small whisk or fork. Next, add the breadcrumbs and mix to combine.
Add the ground sausage and chicken and use your hands to mix together all of the ingredients thoroughly. Your hands are really the only way to mix the ingredients well. If you're squeamish about it, invest in some disposable kitchen gloves.
Once the mixture is well combined, press the mix into a meatloaf or loaf pan. If you don't have one, you can also shape the loaf in a free form way on a sheet pan. Bake for 45 minutes.
Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients in a small bowl. Once the meatloaf has baked for 45 minutes, remove it from the oven and coat the top in half of the sauce.
Turn the oven heat up to 450 degrees. Place the meatloaf back in the oven for 12 minutes or until the sauce is hot and starting to caramelize. Let the meatloaf stand from the oven for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
The remaining sauce can be heated in the microwave for about 30 seconds and used for extra dipping.
To make vegetables
As you are prepping your vegetables for the meatloaf, slice the remaining half of the onion and red and green bell peppers into ¼-inch strips. Place the sliced veggies on a baking sheet prepared with baking spray or nonstick foil for easy cleanup.
Next, dice the red potatoes into no bigger than ½-inch pieces. You want the potatoes to be small so they cook at a similar rate to the other vegetables. Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise and remove the two ends. Cut into ½-inch thick half moons.
Use your hands to mix all of the vegetables together well on the sheet pan. Spread them out evenly in a single layer. Drizzle with 3 Tb of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Place in a preheated 350-degree oven at the same time as the meatloaf and cook for 45 minutes. Pull the pan from the oven and toss the vegetables. Spread them back out across the pan and turn the oven heat up to 450 degrees. Put the veggies back in the oven for 20 minutes or until they start to develop a nice char.
Roughly chop the fresh basil and parsley and sprinkle on the roasted vegetables. Serve immediately.