Perfect BBQ Italian Meatloaf

Here is a recipe I learned while traveling through Italy. I made the switch from tomato sauce to a BBQ sauce. It works perfectly and the meat is moist and delicious. The recipe calls for bread crumbs and the secret to a good meatloaf is the bread. Try to use fresh bread that you cut up or blend into crumbs. This will give your meatloaf so much more texture and flavor.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 red pepper, seeded, small diced 
1 onion, diced 
2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic 
1 pound ground beef 
2 eggs 
3/4 cup bread crumbs 
1 cup grated Parmesan 
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar 
2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves 
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon black pepper 

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the peppers, onions and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a plate and cool.

When the peppers and onions are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together except for the BBQ sauce.

Place your formed loaf into an oiled loaf pan, if you do not have a loaf pan. Top with the BBQ sauce making sure to spread evenly over the top.

Bake for approximately 50 to 60 minutes or until an instant-read thermometer registers 160F in the middle of the meatloaf. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Note: It is important to let your meatloaf rest before slicing. This will allow all of the juices of the meat to settle back into the loaf. After resting your meat will be moist and juicy. You may also wish to add more BBQ sauce onto each slice.