Beef and Sausage Meat Loaf with Mozzarella and Not Your Mama's Slipcovers

I have recently developed an unhealthy addiction to slipcovers...as if I don't already have enough obsessions.

It all started when I wanted to soften up our eating nook.  Too much wood going on in the room and I needed to look for upholstered barstools to go with our high table.  The problem that challenged me, I just was not willing to pay for these barstools that I was finding...ouch!  

I honestly don't even remember how I stumbled on these, or the idea.  It must have been one of my 2am wake up idea sessions.  Now, let me tell you, these are not your grandmother's slipcovers.  I am loving all the options available now, there are without a doubt hundreds of patterns to choose from.  It actually took me three different orders before I finally decided on these beauties. So much fun!  The best part, literally all four slipcovers were a fraction of the cost of just one new upholstered barstool.

Now that we have a beautiful table to eat at again, I was so excited to try this new recipe my dear friend Carole gave me last fall.  It came from Mario Batali's Salumi Restaurant in Seattle.

My husband loves my BBQ Glazed Meatloaf, but this Italian meatloaf...oh my goodness!!!  The house smelled like an Italian eatery all night.  So, so good!

Beef and Sausage Meat Loaf with Mozzarella

Courtesy of Epicurious and Bon Appetit, September 2004

2 pounds lean ground beef (15% fat)

1 pound coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese

1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed, meat crumbled
2 cups chopped fresh basil

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from crustless French bread

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup chopped drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes

5 garlic cloves, minced

1-1/2 Tbl dried oregano

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 cup tomato sauce (I used Marinara sauce)

3 large eggs, beaten to blend

1/2 cup dry red wine (use one that you like to drink)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine first 11 ingredients in large bowl.  Gently mix in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, eggs, and wine.  Place meat mixture on a large rimmed baking sheet and shape into 16x4 inch loaf.  Brush with remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce.  Bake meat loaf until cooked through and thermometer inserted into center registers between 160 and 170 degrees, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

** Because there are just two of us here home, there was a lot of meatloaf leftover.  Since you can only eat so many meatloaf sandwiches, I decided to use the leftovers for a pasta dish.  I cut up the remaining meatloaf into "meatball size" pieces and simmered them in my favorite Pasta Jay's Marinara sauce.  Topped that beautiful goodness on penne pasta...WOW!!!

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