Meatloaf in a loaf pan

Name: Meatloaf in a loaf pan
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: Beef ground 1.3 lbs; Mortadella diced 7.8 oz; Sweet Pancetta cubed 3.5 oz; Stale bread 3 cups; Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese to grate 1 ½ cup; Pecorino cheese to grate 3.5 oz; Hard boiled eggs 4; Eggs medium 4; Garlic 1 clove; Breadcrumbs 1 spoonful; Parsley to chop to taste; Marjoram to chop to taste; Fine salt to taste; Black pepper to taste; Nutmeg to taste; Butter 10 ½ tbsp; Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups; Water chilled ½ cup; Fine salt to taste; Eggs 1; Whole milk 1 spoonful

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Difficulty: Easy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 60 min
Serving: 10
Cost: Average
Note + the resting time of the puff pastry

PRESENTATION

Polpettone in cassetta is that kind of dish—really special—that Italian grandmas whip up for Sunday lunch. And you know what? It's super, super good. Instead of just tossing ground beef together, this takes the idea of a classic meatloaf and gives it an Italian twist with some cool tricks. Picture this: a tender meat mixture in a loaf pan, hard-boiled eggs right inside, all wrapped in a crispy pastry crust that bakes up golden and flaky. Really, when you cut into it, the egg rounds inside are a showstopper. It's one of those comfort foods where everyone just stops and digs in. Seriously good.

Making polpettone in cassetta isn't about being fancy. It's more about showing some love for good old Italian traditions. All over Italy, families add their own twists—like spinach or cheese in the filling or different herbs in the meat mix. And look, some folks even use puff pastry, calling it polpettone in crosta di pasta sfoglia. Either way, the idea is to turn a traditional meatloaf into something memorable, the dish everyone talks about after a big meal. Perfect for trying out new family dinner ideas or stepping up your comfort food game. Works great for leftovers, too—cold slices the next day are just as tasty as the first time. Can't go wrong.

Plus, the beauty of this dish is its adaptability. Whether you stick with the classic or add your own spin, polpettone in cassetta brings a little slice of Italian warmth to any table. The thing is, it’s not just food—it’s a tradition, a memory, a taste of Italy. Pretty much. So, whether it’s for a big Sunday lunch or just because, this recipe is a keeper. Try it out, and you'll see—it's really, really worth it.

INGREDIENTS

Beef 1.3 lbs (600 g) - ground

Mortadella 7.8 oz (220 g) - diced

Sweet Pancetta 3.5 oz (100 g) - cubed

Stale bread 3 cups (200 g)

Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese 1 ½ cup (120 g) - to grate

Pecorino cheese 3.5 oz (100 g) - to grate

Hard boiled eggs 4

Eggs 4 - medium

Garlic 1 clove

Breadcrumbs 1 spoonful

Parsley to taste - to chop

Marjoram to taste - to chop

Fine salt to taste

Black pepper to taste

Nutmeg to taste

for the shortcrust pastry: Butter 10 ½ tbsp (150 g); Type 00 flour 2 ½ cups (300 g); Water ½ cup (105 ml) - chilled; Fine salt to taste

for brushing: Eggs 1; Whole milk 1 spoonful

Preparation

How to prepare Meatloaf in a loaf pan

To make the meatloaf in a loaf pan, start by preparing the Easy Shortcrust Pastry. Put the flour 1, cold butter pieces from the fridge 2, a pinch of salt, and blend everything until you get a sandy, floury texture. At this point, place the mixture on a pastry board 3.

in the classic fountain shape and quickly knead everything by gradually adding cold water 4 until you get a firm, solid, and quite elastic dough. Once ready 5, wrap your shortcrust pastry in plastic wrap 6 and let it rest in the fridge for at least 40 minutes.

Now, focus on the meatloaf mixture: in a large bowl, combine the beef, diced bacon, mortadella 7, bread pieces 8, grated pecorino cheese 9,

also grated Parmesan cheese 10, 4 whole eggs 11, and a crushed garlic clove. Add breadcrumbs 12, flavor with chopped parsley and marjoram,

a pinch of grated nutmeg 13, salt, and pepper. Mix the dough with a wooden spoon to combine the ingredients 14 until you get a homogeneous and well-compacted mixture 15.

Now take the shortcrust pastry, roll it out into a thin rectangular sheet 16. Butter the mold, line it with parchment paper, leaving side flaps to easily lift the meatloaf from the mold, and line the inside with the shortcrust pastry. Use the rolling pin to place the sheet 17 and place the meatloaf inside, create a central groove along the length 18

and place the 4 boiled eggs inside 19. Cover the surface with more mixture 20 and close with the excess shortcrust pastry from the edge 21,

trim off the excess dough and pinch the edges to seal the pastry well. Beat the egg with a tablespoon of milk and brush the meatloaf so that the pastry is golden and crispy 22. With the leftover dough, you can create leaves to apply on the surface 23. Now proceed with baking: bake in a preheated static oven at 320°F for 60 minutes. Once baked, remove the meatloaf from the loaf pan, let it cool slightly 24 and then unmold it by lifting with the parchment paper flaps. Serve the meatloaf in slices and accompany it with mixed vegetable sides or roasted potatoes.

Storage

You can store the meatloaf in a loaf pan in the refrigerator for a couple of days. It is recommended to freeze the meatloaf without the pastry crust.

Advice

You can enrich the meatloaf in a loaf pan with other tasty ingredients such as olives, diced provola cheese, salami, or cooked ham.

If you want to make the shortcrust pastry wrapper more appetizing, add aromatic herbs to the dough like chives, thyme, and parsley.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.