Sausage and Beef Meatloaf with Mozzarella

Originally made with Sweet Italian Sausage, some prefer Hot Italian Sausage to make it a spicy favorite.

Ingredients

• 2 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 lb Sweet or Hot Italian Sausage, casings removed, meat crumbled
• 1 lb coarsely grated mozzarella cheese
• 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 Tbsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 cup tomato sauce, divided
• 3 large eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup dry red wine

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl.
• Gently mix in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, eggs and wine.
• Place meat mixture on large rimmed baking sheet and shape into 16 x 4-inch loaf.
• Brush with remaining 1/2 cup tomato sauce.
• Bake meatloaf until cooked through and thermometer inserted into center registers between 160 – 170 F, apprx 1 hour, 15 minutes.