Best Leftover Italian Meatloaf Open-faced Sandwich
An easy recipe for moist meatloaf and Italian meatloaf open-faced sandwiches
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1/2 medium yellow onion
- 1 clove fresh garlic
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tbsp ketchup
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan
- salt and pepper
Tomato Sauce Topping
- 1 cup canned tomato sauce
- 4 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Sandwich
- 6-8 slices leftover meatloaf
- 1 loaf Italian bread
- 4 cloves of fresh garlic
- 6-8 tbsp butter softened
- 8 slices mozzarella
Instructions
Meatloaf
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Chop the onion and set it aside.
- Mince the garlic and set it aside.
- Place the ground beef in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the onion and garlic to the ground beef.
- Sprinkle the thyme, basil, and oregano over the beef and combine everything. Using your hands is the most practical way to do this.
- Beat the egg in small cup.
- Add the milk, panko, and beaten egg to the ground beef mixture and mix to combine.
- Pour in the ketchup and Worcestershire sauce. Lightly sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Mix to combine.
- Add in the Parmesan and combine.
- Lightly spray the baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the beef mixture in the prepared pan and form it into a loaf/log shape. Set aside while you prepare the tomato sauce topping.
- Prepare the sauce by mixing together the tomato sauce, tomato paste, ketchup, and Worcestershire sauce in a small bowl. Be sure to stir in the tomato paste until there are no lumps.
- Pour HALF of the sauce over the meatloaf and smooth it out so the entire surface is covered. Reserve the rest of the sauce for the sandwich. Place the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use.
- Bake for 40 minutes. The meatloaf is cooked when an instant read thermometer inserted into the center reads 165 degrees F.
- Wrap leftover meatloaf in aluminum foil or place in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Sandwich
- Cut thick slices of meatloaf. Set aside.
- Slice the Italian bread into four pieces. You will be making an open faced sandwich, so you will only use one slice of bread per sandwich.
- Mince the garlic. Set aside.
- Spread 1-2 tbsp of butter per piece of bread.
- Sprinkle minced garlic over the buttered surface of bread.
- Place the bread on a rimmed baking sheet, butter side up.
- Broil on low for 3-4 minutes until golden. Make sure to watch the bread carefully as it will go from uncooked to burned very quickly!
- While the bread is toasting, place the meatloaf on a microwave safe plate and cook until heated, 2-3 minutes.
- When the bread is ready, place 1-2 slices of meatloaf on top.
- Spoon the reserved sauce equally over the meatloaf slices.
- Top each sandwich with 2 slices of mozzarella. Each slice of cheese should overlap slightly.
- Place the sandwich under the broiler until the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes. Again, keep an eye on its progress to avoid burning.