Parmesan Meatloaf - Easy Parmesan Cheese Meat Loaf Recipe (2024)

Are you tired of the same old boring meat loaf recipe? This easy Parmesan meatloaf is flavored with Italian inspired fresh herbs and topped with a layer tasty Parmesan cheese and a delicious homemade marinara sauce.

The recipe is fall comfort food at its best and a great addition to your collection of Italian recipes!

I am tired of meatloaf recipes getting a bad rap. With the right blend of spices, you can turn this simple family stapleinto something extraordinary in the taste department.

You will make believers out of those who say that there is no such thing as a great meat loaf recipe.

This Parmesan meatloaf could not be easier to prepare!

Usingfresh herbs for cooking this recipe adds so much flavor. Thyme, basil and marjoram all do their part in giving great taste to the meatloaf.

The Parmesan cheese in the mixture and the cheddar cheese on the top of the meatloaf add and extra richness to the meat loaf recipe. The Italian inspired fresh herbs and a sauce made from roasted tomatoes are the key to the ingredients.

Panko bread crumbs and an egg are the binding agents that hold everything together.

Can I use powdered Parmesan cheese instead of freshly grated?

You can used the bottled Parmesan if you don’t have fresh cheese on hand, but the taste and recipe won’t be the same.

Freshly grated cheese tastes better, cooks better, and even looks better. It is more expensive to use than the bottled kind, but it is so worth it to plan ahead and just make sure you buy some decent cheese.

Fresh Parmesan cheese is sold in block form and is very easy to grate as needed. It also keeps really well in the fridge for weeks on end.

How about the marinara sauce? Will bottled sauce do?

I’d like to say, “oh, no, you must spend hours making my homemade marinara sauce” because it really is that good, but a good quality bottled sauce will do just fine if you don’t have time.

Just add a splash of red wine to it, since that will give it extra flavor.

I make my marinara sauce in bulk and freeze it, so that I have it to use in all sorts of recipes. But if you don’t want to take the time to roast the tomatoes and make the sauce, just use bottled sauce.

I use a medium sized loaf pan. I like my meat loaves to be narrow and tall! This recipes fits it beautifully.

One of the beauties of a meat loaf recipe is that it is very fast to put together. Just make the loaf, put it in the fridge and then spend the day doing other things you enjoy.

For me today, it is tidying up my office, if you can believe it. Not the most appealing of jobs, but I know I will be happy when I get it done.

Then tonight, I will just pop this beauty in the oven and can relax with a glass of wine while it cooks.

Time to taste this Parmesan meat loaf recipe

The easy meat loaf recipe is very moist and full of flavor. Add an extra dollop of the the marinara sauce on top to garnish. It is also great served cold the next day.

Serve this Parmesan meatloaf with creamy mashed potatoes and a salad or veggie side dish and you will have another ultimate comfort food recipe!

Tips for a great meatloaf

Yes, you can combine onions and ground beef in a bowl and shape it into a loaf and bake it, but that is what gives meatloaf a bad rap. For a great tasting meat loaf be sure to remember these things.

1. Use good quality meat. If you choose the cheapest ground meat available, you’ll end up with a swimming mess of fat drenched meatloaf that no one will want to eat.
2. Choose fresh herbs instead of dried. If you are a reader of my blog, you know that fresh herbs are keys to my recipes. They give so much more flavor than dried and are very easy to grow.
3. Have liquids as part of the recipe. A good meatloaf will hold its shape well but not be too dry. This happens when you incorporate flavorful liquids into the mixture. In the case of this meatloaf, it’s balsamic vinegar and eggs that give it some moisture.
4. Finish it off well. Adding the grated cheese at the end of the cooking time and topping with the marinara adds loads of flavor to this recipe.
5. Let the meatloaf rest before serving it. After cooking, drain off any excess fat and allow the pan to rest for 5 minutes. This allows the loaf to settle and makes even slicing easier.

Pin this meatloaf for later

Would you like a reminder of this easy meat loaf recipe? Just pin this image to one of your cooking boards on Pinterest.

This meatloaf is sure to become a family favorite. It serves 8 and works out to just under 390 calories each.

Admin note: This post first appeared on the blog in July of 2013. I have updated the post to add new tips and reader questions, as well as a printable recipe card.