Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf Recipe

By
Todd Coleman
Todd Coleman Headshot
Todd Coleman
Todd was the Creative Content Director for social media at Dotdash, working across The Spruce Eats, TripSavvy, Liquor.com, and TreeHugger. Todd has seen every side of the media and food world—behind the lens, on the page, and beyond. He has been everything from executive food editor at Saveur and creative director at Tasting Table to producer at the Food Network and shooter-writer-editor for everything from travel stories to cookbooks. He’s also an Instagram star (with over 100,000 followers!)Todd received an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts from The Culinary Institute of America.
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Updated on 12/1/21
Tested by
Young Sun Huh
Young Sun Huh
Tested by Young Sun Huh
Young Sun is a freelance recipe developer, tester, and food stylist with over 15 years of experience in the food industry.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf on a cutting board with a knife and peas in a bowl

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 70 mins
Rest: 10 mins
Total: 2 hrs 5 mins
Servings: 8

This meatloaf recipe takes a popular comfort-food staple and turns it into a dinner party-worthy centerpiece. Inside the meatloaf you'll find a spiral of pesto, mozzarella, fresh basil, and roasted red peppers. The whole thing is then wrapped in prosciutto, which adds a flavorful umami boost and bakes into a delicately crisp crust in the oven.

Although the meatloaf requires some extra steps, it uses mostly pantry ingredients with no additional cooking involved. It also serves as a template for other flavor combinations, such as sautéed mushrooms and spinach, or cheddar, roasted poblano, and cornbread.

Serve the meatloaf with simple mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, or even a side of pasta with tomato sauce. If you have any left over, it would make a delicious sandwich the next day.

"This meatloaf requires some more effort than your everyday meatloaf, but is relatively easy to put together. Just be sure to fully seal the sides and bottom seam of the meatloaf to prevent any of the mozzarella from oozing out. I loved the melty cheese and the crisp prosciutto shell." —Young Sun Huh

Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1 pound ground beef

  • 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

  • 1 medium onion, grated

  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 1/2 cup Italian breadcrumbs

  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade pesto

  • 2 roasted red peppers, blotted dry and cut into small pieces (from a 12 ounce jar; about 1 cup chopped)

  • 20 basil leaves

  • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella

  • 6 ounces thinly-sliced prosciutto

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

    Aluminum foil lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a fork, then add the beef, sausage, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and black pepper; mix together until well combined.

    Beef, sausage, onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, and black pepper in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. Pat and spread out the meat mixture into a 12- by 10-inch wide rectangle on a large piece of parchment paper. 

    Large rectangle of the meat mixture on a parchment paper lined cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  5. Spread the pesto on top and layer the peppers, basil leaves, and mozzarella, leaving an empty 1-inch border on all sides.

    Meat mixture with basil, peppers and cheese on top on a parchment paper lined cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. With the shorter side facing you, roll the loaf up like a jelly roll using the edges of the paper to assist.

    Meat mixture rolled around the filling using the parchment paper

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  7. Pinch and seal both ends of the loaf, as well as the bottom seam, to prevent any of the filling from spilling out.

    Meatloaf roll on top of a parchment paper lined cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  8. Arrange 4 to 5 slightly overlapping slices of prosciutto on the foil-lined baking sheet to about the length of the meatloaf.

    Prosciutto slices on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  9. Place the meatloaf seam-side down on top of the prosciutto layer.

    Meatloaf on top prosciutto slices on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  10. Wrap each end of the meatloaf with another slice of prosciutto first, then pull up the bottom slices of prosciutto to wrap around the bottom half of the meatloaf.

    Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  11. Shingle another 4 to 5 slices on top and wrap securely around the meatloaf. The entire meatloaf should be tightly encased in prosciutto.

    Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  12. Bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the center reads 150 F, about 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes.

    Baked Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  13. Let rest 10 minutes before slicing. The temperature will continue to rise to 160 F as the meatloaf sits,

    Prosciutto-Wrapped Stuffed Meatloaf sliced on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Tips

  • When filling the meatloaf, make sure to leave a gap of one inch on all sides, as the filling will naturally spread out as you roll it.
  • You might experience some melted cheese spilling out as the meatloaf cooks in the oven. Take care to pinch and seal the ends and the bottom seam of the rolled meatloaf to avoid this.
  • Don't use premium, top-quality prosciutto since it will ultimately get cooked. Opt for a good-quality packaged prosciutto from the supermarket that is thinly sliced, separated by pieces of paper, and easy to handle.
  • Make sure to let the meatloaf rest for 10 minutes before you slice it. It will be easier to slice and all the juices won't run out.
  • A serrated knife will help you cut through the prosciutto layer and will yield neat slices.
  • If you only have plain breadcrumbs, add an extra teaspoon of Italian seasoning to the meat mixture.

Recipe Variations

  • Use cracker crumbs or soft breadcrumbs in the meatloaf instead of fine dry breadcrumbs.
  • Substitute the basil leaves with 1 cup of thawed frozen spinach (squeezed dry).
  • For a sharper flavor, replace the mozzarella with thinly-sliced provolone.

How to Store and Freeze

  • Refrigerate leftover meatloaf in a shallow, airtight container or wrap tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Use leftover refrigerated meatloaf within 4 days.
  • For longer storage, the meatloaf may be frozen. Wrap the meatloaf or slices tightly with plastic wrap and heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 4 months. Defrost frozen cooked meatloaf in the refrigerator overnight.
  • Reheat leftover meatloaf in the microwave or in a 350 F oven until it reaches at least 165 F, the minimum safe temperature for leftover cooked food.

What ingredient keeps meatloaf from falling apart?

Meatloaf usually contains binders such as breadcrumbs and eggs to hold it together.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
616 Calories
41g Fat
15g Carbs
44g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 616
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 53%
Saturated Fat 15g 76%
Cholesterol 186mg 62%
Sodium 1461mg 64%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 26mg 129%
Calcium 321mg 25%
Iron 4mg 21%
Potassium 734mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)