Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup pizza sauce, plus extra for topping if desired
• 1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• Pepperoni slices, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, pizza sauce, breadcrumbs and Italian seasoning.
3. Add the ground beef and about 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Gently mix until everything is evenly combined.
4. Shape the mixture into a loaf and place it in a loaf pan or on a foil-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for about 45 minutes.
6. Spread additional pizza sauce over the top, then sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Add pepperoni slices if desired.
7. Return to the oven and continue baking until the cheese is melted and the center of the meatloaf is cooked through.
8. Let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing.

Pizza Meatloaf Ideas

• Add finely chopped bell pepper or mushrooms to the meat mixture.
• Use mini pepperoni for a kid-friendly topping.
• Shape the mixture into individual mini meatloaves for smaller portions.
• Serve with extra warm pizza sauce for dipping.

Kids Cooking Tip: Kids can measure the pizza sauce, breadcrumbs and seasonings and sprinkle the mozzarella and pepperoni on top. This is also a fun recipe for practicing measuring fractions such as 1/2 and 1/4 cup.