How to Make the Juiciest Italian Meatloaf (Polpettone & Potatoes)
Learn how to make authentic Italian Meatloaf (Polpettone) a simple, moist, and flavorful one-pan meal. Unlike traditional meatloaf, this Italian version uses a mix of beef and sweet sausage, baked with crispy potatoes in a white wine pan sauce. It’s the ultimate Sunday dinner recipe!
Most people struggle with dry meatloaf. In this video, I’m sharing my family’s secret: using milk-soaked bread and a specific beef-to-sausage ratio to ensure it stays tender and juicy every time. Plus, we’re cooking the side dish in the same pan for maximum flavor and zero cleanup.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 lb sweet Italian sausage
2 slices of bread (soaked in a little milk and squeezed dry)
2 large eggs
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable broth
Salt & black pepper (to taste)
Fresh thyme
Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, sweet sausage, soaked bread (squeezed dry), eggs, grated Parmigiano Reggiano, black pepper, and fresh thyme. Mix thoroughly.
2. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Place the meat mixture onto the paper and use your hands to roll and shape it into a tight, uniform loaf.
3. Transfer the meatloaf to a baking tray. Surround the meatloaf with the cubed potatoes and diced onion.
4. Season the potatoes and onion generously with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Drizzle everything with olive oil. Pour the white wine and vegetable broth over the vegetables and into the tray.
5. Bake in the oven at 400°F on the center rack for approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees.
6. Let the meatloaf rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving with the roasted potatoes and pan juices.
⭐ Instructions:
0:00 Introduction to Italian Polpettone
0:06 Preparing the Meatloaf Base
0:35 Soaking the Bread
1:31 Seasoning and Mixing
2:34 Shaping the Meatloaf on Parchment
3:35 Prepping the Potatoes and Onions
4:10 Assembling the Baking Tray & Pan Sauce
4:44 Baking the Polpettone at 400°F
4:52 The Reveal: Golden and Bubbly
6:03 Juice from the Pan
6:51 Slicing and Serving
8:32 Giovanni
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
✅ Authentic Italian Meatloaf flavor and style.
✅ One-Pan Dinner: The potatoes and sauce bake right alongside the meat.
✅ The perfect dish for Sunday dinner or holidays
Comment Below:
This Italian Polpettone uses a mix of beef and sausage. When you make meatloaf, do you prefer using just beef, or do you always add sausage, pork, or veal for extra flavor? Let me know in the comments below! And don’t forget to subscribe for more authentic Italian family recipes! 🇮🇹
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#meatloaf #polpettone #familydinner
39 Comments
I think you had two really big pieces of bread, about two cups unpacked? I like “ bready” meatloaf and meatballs as I think that is the key to tender meatballs and meatloaf. I like your other meatball recipe made with a white wine sauce too.
Very well presented.
Yum yum ❤❤❤❤❤
Looks delicious
That can’t be just two slices of bread Is that a typo in the recipe?
I stopped watching the vid cos of the obnoxious tags on the top right… can't you just leave it on for a bit and then get it out
Wow, what a beautiful dish. Happy I just discovered your channel. I am now a Subscriber ☺
Gio, not sure what's more beautiful, you or the meatloaf! Sorry. couldn't help…love your content!
Too bad I’m happily married!❤
I'm psyched to make this dish. Excellent presentation/production.
This is something that brought tears to my eyes. My father who was Calabrese made my grandmothers meatballs with the bread soaked in milk and my husbands grandmother taught me, as a young bride to make her meatloaf and her meat balls the exact way you made this except she would put fennel seeds in hers instead of the thyme. She was from a little community close to Messina and fennel was something they cooked with and ate raw which I learned to love myself. Two different dialects that represent some of the best Italian cooking. Thank you for the memories this brought to mind.
Enjoyed watching every step 👍 I create similar calm cooking content.
When will USA, Myanmar and Liberia join with the rest of the world and use the metric system?
What causes my meatloaf get foam around the loaf when cooking then I need to scoop it out
I'm a butler/cook for a couple here in Memphis Tennessee.
I really like your flavor combination and presentation.
I've submitted this recipe for their approval.
I will be subscribing to your channel for more great ideas.
Thanks buddy.
Nothing more disgusting then watching a cook. Mixing minced meat, wearing jewelry. GROSS
I want his hair for Christmas. Thank you very much
I love your hair, signor!
I’d leave out the wine, personally.
The bacteria under his ring give it a nice tang in the mouth
You overcooked it!
He threw out the best part…
Definitely going to try this recipe next time! Did you use just regular sausage or Italian sausage? Or doesn’t it matter?
Why do we have to make good healthy meat none healthy with that bread ? ! Cheese would be enough to hold them together 🤷🏼♀️
Do you have any advice for a bread/wheat substitute?
Gloves…
Take your jewelry off first next time. Yuk Factor item.
Looks exquisite – must smell and taste great.
Grew up with that dish (Sicilian) style
You’ve got to strip the time leaves off the stem! No one wants to chew on a stem. Other than that little mistake, it was an amazing recipe.
I would make a gravy.
Where's the "ketchup" on top of the meatloaf? 😛
Made it ,even better than I imagined , will be using this method many times .
You are incredibly GORGEOUS!!!
Thank you for a great recipe!
Ina Garten's recipe is better… 🙂
I’m tryin it
This would be even better with hot Italian sausage.
I add onion,pepper and celery to the meat