Ingredients :
1 pound of ground meat
1/2 pound of soft ground Italian sausage
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 C. chopped bell pepper (I used orange, it’s all I had in the freezer)
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon of basil
1/2 teaspoon of parsley
1 egg, beaten
3/4 C. Italian breadcrumbs
2 slices of white bread, crumbled
1 cup of milk
8 oz. grated mozzarella cheese, set aside 3/4 C. for garnish
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup marinara sauce, plus 1/2 -3/4 cup extra for garnish.
Directions :
In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and sauté the onion and bell pepper for 3-4 minutes, then remove from heat. In a large bowl, add the meats, onion and peppers and all the other ingredients, reserving 3/4 C. of mozzarella cheese for garnish. Now, dip it with the best tools God gave you, your hands and combine everything very well. Once everything is ready, place and mold the mixture in a baking dish of your choice. I used my Portuguese oval stoneware for ours. Pour 1/2 to 3/4 C. of the marinara sauce over it and spread it. Put in the oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with the remaining cheese and sprinkle with some dried basil. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Make sure the meat is not pink before serving it, the cooking time varies according to the thickness of the bread. Mine was approximately 2″.