While cleaning the fridge last weekend, I found the leftover panzanella salad from a previous dinner using basil, parsley, tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers from my garden. I had added onions, garlic, mozzarella, olives and capers along with leftover French bread from another night’s dinner. By then the bread was soggy and the salad most likely wouldn’t be eaten. I realized that except for the cucumbers, those leftovers would make a fantastic Italian meatloaf.

Strange but true, I picked out the cucumbers and threw them in the compost bowl while removing the soggy bread to a smaller bowl where I broke it up and added 1 egg. That mixture went back into the remaining panzanella ingredients along with 1-1/2 pounds of ground meat. I mixed it all together and shaped it into a loaf topping it with tomato salsa spruced up with a little Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. It baked for 50 minutes in a 350-degree oven.

While the meatloaf cooked, I boiled about 2 pounds red potatoes, one large peeled sweet potato from my garden and 6 garlic cloves in salty water for 15 minutes. I mashed them with a little leftover goat cheese and heavy cream – we were out of butter and my goal was to clean out the fridge.

As I was writing this, I realized that dinner sounded like something from a Chopped episode where cooks have to create a meal from miscellaneous ingredients. Regardless, the Italian meatloaf served over creamy mashed potatoes was fabulous, possibly the best I’ve ever eaten. The recipe below is my effort to recreate it without the benefit of leftover panzanella salad.

Italian Meatloaf
2 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1⁄2 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
1 Tbsp. capers
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese, cubed
1-1⁄2 lb. ground meat
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 cup marinara sauce

Sauté the garlic, onion, pepper and tomatoes in olive oil with salt and pepper until tender. Then in a large bowl, mix all the remaining ingredients together – except for the marinara sauce. Shape into a loaf and place on a rack in a baking pan. I used very lean ground beef and skipped the rack. Spread marinara sauce over the top of the loaf. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 50 minutes or until the internal temperature is 160 degrees. Let the meatloaf rest 5-10 minutes before slicing and serving.