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Smoked meatloaf ends up on our dinner rotation with some regularity. Our meatloaf usually consists of a mixture of meat, spices, vegetables and some sort of binder to make it all come together. When I saw this idea for a smoked Italian meatloaf I was all over it in a heartbeat. It’s a combination of what I consider a fairly traditional meat mixture infused with Italian flavors, but then comes the tasty cool part. It’s stuffed with prosciutto, arugula, and provolone cheese! Mama mia!
The roll…
After you’ve combined the ingredients for the meat mixture, spread it out and topped it, you have a decision to make. Do you roll it up along the long axis, giving you a long loaf that produces a good number of smaller slices, or do you roll it along the short side, giving you a large loaf that produces super-big pieces and more toppings in every bite? Decisions, decisions.
I went with the long loaf and was very happy. But I can see how the short thicker loaf would have the advantage of giving your more toppings since there’ll be more layers. No matter which way you go, this is one fantastic meatloaf packed with Italian-inspired flavors.
Sealing…
Make sure you seal up any seams before putting the meatloaf onto your smoker. And be careful moving the loaf to your smoker. To make things easier I transferred the assembled loaf onto a disposable grill topper while still in the kitchen. I just had to roll the loaf off of my cutting board and onto the topper. No risk of the loaf rolling off the smoker or falling apart.
For a wonderful topping after you’ve sliced the loaf, try my smoked provolone cheese sauce. Like a little kick to your meatloaf? Smoked habanero meatloaf is the thing for you.
Smoked Italian Meatloaf
Ingredients
For the meat mixture
- 3 pounds ground beef
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 shallot chopped
- ½ cup Italian bread crumbs
- dried basil to taste (I used about 1/2 tablespoon)
- dried oregano to taste (I used about 1/2 tablespoon)
- ground fennel to taste (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
For the stuffing
- 2 handfuls arugula rinsed, patted dry
- 8 slices prosciutto
- 8 slices provolone cheese
For the glaze
Instructions
- Fire up your smoker for 275 F. Use a lighter wood such as a fruit wood.
For the meat mixture
- Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well.
- Line a 9″ x 13″ 1″ deep pan with foil. Make sure the foil extends over the sides of the pan by at least 1″.
- Add the meat mixture to the pan and flatten it out to fill the pan, making sure the meat is the same thickness throughout. I found just using the palms of my hands to be the easiest way to do this.
For the stuffing
- Later the arugula, prosciutto and provolone cheese on top of the meat, leaving a 1″ border around the edges.
- To roll up, start along the long end (or short end if you want a thicker loaf) and start to foll about 1″ of the meat over onto itself. Keep going, back and forth, rolling as you go.
- Seal the ends and the seam. You don’t want the contents to escape.
- Transfer to the smoker and smoke for 2 hours or until the internal temperature of the loaf measures 150 F in several places.
- Combine the glaze ingredients and brush over the top of the loaf.
- Smoke another 30 minutes.
- Remove and let rest for 45 minutes. If you don’t let it rest long enough the cheese will ooze out when you slice it.
- Slice and serve.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are approximate.