Beef and Pioneer Sausage Meat Loaf with Mozzarella

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef (15 percent fat)
• 1 lb whole-milk mozzarella cheese, coarsely grated
• 1 lb Pioneer Sausages, casings removed, meat crumbled
• 2 cups fresh basil, chopped
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, made from crustless French bread
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, chopped & drained
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 ½ tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup tomato sauce, divided
• 3 large eggs, beaten to blend
• ½ cup dry red wine

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine first 11 ingredients in large bowl. Gently mix in ½ cup tomato sauce, eggs, and wine. Place meat mixture on large rimmed baking sheet and shape into 16x4-inch loaf. Brush with remaining ½ cup tomato sauce. Bake meat loaf until cooked through and thermometer inserted into center registers between 160°F and 170°F, about 1 hour 15 minutes.