Provolone Stuffed Sausage Meatloaf

I came up with with recipe after having a cheese stuffed meatball. I thought it would be fun to try it with meatloaf. Sausage was on sale, so I put an Italian twist on it.

1 lb. lean ground beef
3 mild Italian sausage links, removed from casing
1/2 C. chopped red onion
1 clove of garlic, minced
2/3 C. marinara sauce
1 C. crushed saltine crackers
2 eggs, whisked
1-2 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 T. chopped fresh Italian parsley
10-12 deli sliced provolone cheese

Saute onion and garlic in 1 T. olive oil until onion is soft. Set aside to cool. Mix together beef and sausage in a bowl. Try not to handle to meat too much. Add the cooled onion and garlic along with the next 7 ingredients and gently mix just until combined. Spread the mixture out onto a 8 x 16" piece of parchment paper. Make sure the thickness is even throughout. Mine was about 1/2" thick. Lay the slices of cheese on the meat leaving about a 1" border. Using the parchment, roll the meat into a loaf, pulling the parchment away from the meat as you go. I found it made less of a mess and was easier to roll the meat with the parchment. You don't have to use it. Place the meat in a loaf pan seam side down. Seal each side of the loaf to prevent the cheese from oozing out. Bake at 350 F for about 1 1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted reads 165 F. Let it rest for about 15 minutes before slicing. Top with a drizzle of marinara.