Few of us can resist one of the gold standards of comfort food: the meatloaf. This variation combines lean ground beef with spinach and Italian seasoning for something a bit different and we believe more flavorful than a typical meatloaf.
Ingredients 1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
1 large raw egg or 2 small, scrambled in bowl
½ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs or plain breadcrumbs you’ve seasoned with a ½ teaspoon
each oregano, marjoram, and rosemary
½ cup of bottled tomato-based pasta sauce
1 cup well-washed and dried finely chopped fresh spinach or defrosted chopped frozen spinach that you’ve squeezed all the water out of (must be as dry as possible)
2 tablespoons fresh, diced onion or 1 tablespoon dried onion
1 garlic clove minced or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or dried garlic powder
½ cup sour cream
A tablespoon or two of milk for extra moisture, if you like
2 tablespoons finely chopped bell pepper (fresh green or red but better if it’s peeled and roasted)
Directions Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Gently mix all ingredients together and shape into loaf. Bake in glass baking dish or glass loaf pan. Cook covered for 45 minutes then remove cover. Cook for 15-25 minutes more or until the internal temperature of the meatloaf reaches 160 degrees.
Let cool slightly, slice, and serve with more heated pasta sauce and fresh parmesan cheese, if desired. Good with a mixed green salad and garlic bread.
The Monsanto Company and the American Farm Bureau Federation make presentation of America's Heartland possible.
Additional production and promotion assistance is provided by the American Soybean Association, National Corn Growers Association, National Cotton Council, United Soybean Board, U.S. Grains Council, National Association of Wheat Growers, and the National FFA Organization.
Meatloaf Florentine 
