Italian Meatloaf with Tomato Gravy

Here's a nice twist on meatloaf...a little Italian sausage gives it a nice flavor.

For the meatloaf:
2 lbs ground beef
1/2 lb Italian sausage ( either bulk or removed from casings)
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
8 whole mushroom, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup roasted red pepper, chopped
1 egg
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbl olive oil
Saute the onion, garlic, mushrooms and green pepper in the olive oil. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes and then in a large bowl, combine everything together. At this point I refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour.


For the gravy:
Roast a full head of garlic by cutting off the top and then placing the head on a square of foil.  Drizzle a little olive oil over it, wrap the foil around and bake at 350F for 45 minutes.
When cooled, squeeze out the garlic and mash. Combine the garlic with 2 instant beef or pork gravy mixes and a 12 oz can of V-8 juice. Heat and as the sauce thickens, add enough water to make a nice gravy. Swirl in a tablespoon of butter.


Shape the meat mixture into a loaf and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet or pan. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes and then spread about 3/4 cup of the gravy on top.  Continue to bake for about another hour or until the internal temperature reaches 160F. Serve the gravy over the meat and maybe some mashed potatoes.