Easy Italian meatloaf recipe (Polpettone)

This Italian meatloaf recipe is very easy. Made from a mixture of meats and stuffed with boiled eggs it’s comfort food at its best

This traditional easy Italian meatloaf recipe is a favorite for many generations. It’s not surprising, polpettone is absolutely fantastic, with just a handful of simple ingredients.

Meatloaf is prepared and adored in different parts of the world. The main ingredients are mostly the same – ground meat and eggs, but each culinary culture also adds its own special ingredients, creating unique versions of this recipe.  

I love ground beef recipes, so along with kotleti and meatballs, I often make meatloaf. There are many recipes in my notebook, but the ones we like the most at home are:

• American meatloaf, covered with a delicious ketchup glaze. It’s a fantastic dish…
• traditional Ukrainian Easter beef and pork loaf, full of aroma with the taste of childhood. It’s extraordinary…
• classic Italian polpettone with boiled eggs and carrots. Here, simple ingredients are so successfully combined that this easy Italian-style  meatloaf recipe instantly rises to the level of “Mamma mia! It’s divinely delicious!”

Guess what we are going to have for dinner tonight? Yeah! His majesty Italian meatloaf with boiled eggs! If you’ve never made polpettone before, I highly recommend giving it a try. You just can’t miss this deliciousness!

If we delve into the semantics, then the Italian name “polpettone” is nothing but a big … well, a huge meatball. Nothing is surprising here, because the recipe for Italian style meatloaf is very similar to the recipe for polpette (Italian meatballs). The difference is only in the shape, size, and ease of preparation: polpettone is much faster and easier to make.

Useful tips

I will reveal to you a few secrets proven by my experience:

• Speaking of meat, a mixture of pork and beef in equal proportions is best for this recipe. I don’t advise you to prepare this Italian meatloaf entirely from ground pork, because the dish will be too fatty. If you use only beef, polpettone will be very dry and not juicy. For the same reason, I don’t recommend using ground chicken or turkey.
• Do you want to add even more juiciness and flavor to this dish? It’s very easy to do – replace part of the ground meat with Italian sausage. Only in this case, reduce the amount of salt indicated in the recipe.
• Grind all the ingredients together with a blender. Of course, you can simply mix them, but thanks to the blender, the consistency of the Italian meatloaf will be perfect – homogeneous, tender, and velvety.
• I highly recommend using long thin carrots for the stuffing (large carrots may result in not being fully cooked).
• Add fresh chopped herbs to the ground meat. Basil, parsley, or oregano will make polpettone divinely flavorful (you can also use an Italian dressing mix).
• Cook it wrapped in aluminum foil or parchment paper. Bake it for 55 minutes. Thanks to this the loaf won’t fall apart and will be juicy and tender. Then remove it from the oven, unwrap the aluminum foil or parchment paper, increase the temperature to 200C (390F) and bake for another 10 minutes – so that the top is baked and browned.
• Be sure to let polpettone rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This is important not only for the intensity of taste and aroma but also for ease of slicing.

What else can I put in this Italian meatloaf?

Most often, I prepare this Italian style meatloaf with boiled eggs and carrots. My kids and husband always hope to get a slice with the yolk! But here everything depends only on your tastes and preferences. So change the stuffing as you wish and make it the way you want. My favorite options are:

• mushrooms
• broccoli
• ham or prosciutto
• bacon
• sautéed spinach
• cheese (Italian Provolone cheese is an ideal option here)
• chopped nuts (Italian stuffed meatloaf is extremely tasty with pistachios and almonds)
• raisins (if you like them in savory meat dishes)

Changing the stuffing ingredients, you will always have a new polpettone with its own unique character: elegant, simple, stuffed, traditional, rustic, original, festive…

Whatever stuffing you choose, it’s impossible to go wrong with this Italian meatloaf – the “wow” effect is always guaranteed.

Ingredients

• 400g (14oz) ground meat
• 1 large egg
• 1Tbsp plain breadcrumbs
• 4Tbsp grated parmesan
• 2Tbsp milk
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper

For the stuffing

• 3 boiled eggs
• 1 large, long but not thick carrot

How to make Italian meatloaf with boiled eggs

Making polpettone is much easier than it looks.

Put together ground meat, egg, parmesan, breadcrumbs, milk, salt, and pepper. Mix everything with a blender to get a perfectly blended and soft mixture

Divide the meat mixture into two halves. Place one half on the aluminum foil (or parchment paper) and press it with your hands to form an oblong oval or rectangle (approximately 20cm x 11cm / 8”x5”). Place the hard-boiled eggs and a carrot (raw) on top (peel it and cut it in half lengthwise)

Cover the top with the rest of the ground meat mixture and shape it into an oblong loaf. Press it you’re your hands and pinch the edges well. Wrap the roll in aluminum foil or parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F) and cook the polpettone for 55 minutes (wrapped in aluminum foil). Then unwrap the foil, increase the temperature to 200C (390F) and bake for another 10 minutes – so that the top is baked and browned. Bon Appetit!

What to serve with it

As I mentioned above, polpettone is, in fact, a huge meatball. Therefore, any side dish suitable for meatballs is perfect for this Italian meatloaf too.

I love to serve it with:

• crispy roasted potatoes
• a light vegetable salad
• roasted vegetables
• baked asparagus
• mashed potatoes
• a mix of carrots, peas, and sweetcorn
• browned Brussels sprouts
• sautéed mushrooms

Or you can simply serve it with delicious homemade bread. I call this option “a meatloaf sandwich”. Take a slice of polpettone (it’s delicious both warm and cold), place it on a slice of bread and enjoy.

FAQ

No matter if you prepare this Italian meatloaf with boiled eggs for a festive table or just for an ordinary lunch or dinner, everyone will be happy and will definitely ask for more.

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