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Growing up, my mom made Italian meatloaf in the oven stuffed with mozzarella cheese and smothered in marinara sauce. Not surprisingly, this delicious combination is still one of my favorites. But it hadn’t occurred to me until recently to try smoking the meatloaf prior to topping it with marinara. Jay and I did just that last Saturday at the store, with absolutely mouth-watering success. Try this Smoked (& Stuffed) Italian Meatloaf on your smoker for an entree that’s packed with flavor (& cheese!).

For those of you who are interested in making a slightly healthier, but just as tasty, version, I’ve also included a modified turkey version of the meatloaf below. I made the turkey version at the store last Saturday, as well, and received rave reviews from my husband and parents (and protests from Jay for ruining a perfectly good beef recipe)!

I derived the following recipes from my mom’s original recipe, Michael Chiarello’s Italian Meatloaf recipe, and advice I found on the internet for smoking meatloaf.

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small red pepper, seeded, diced
* 1 onion, diced
* 2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
* 1 pound ground beef
* 2 eggs
* 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Gia Russa Whole Grain Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs)
* 1 cup grated Parmesan
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
* 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (or more or less, to your liking)
* 1 cup marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Heat smoker to 250 degrees.
2. Saute the pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Set aside to cool.
3. When sauteed vegetables are cool, add them to the ground beef in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients, except Italian cheese blend and marinara sauce. Combine ingredients in bowl, but forget using a spoon! Use your hands to knead the mixture together (fun, huh?).
4. Place this mixture on a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and flatten into a large rectangle about 1/2″ thick.
5. Sprinkle the Italian cheese blend evenly over the top of the meat mixture.
6. Pull up one side of the parchment or waxed paper and begin to roll the meatloaf, using the paper to guide the meat so that it doesn’t break apart.
7. When roll is complete, press the ends of the meat together smoothly, so the cheese is completely enclosed. Add smoking wood of your choice to your firebox (we used cherry) and put meatloaf directly on the smoker grate or in a shallow pan.
8. Smoke meatloaf for about 2.5 hours, or until the internal meat temperature reaches about 150 degrees. Do not add more smoking wood.
9. Move meatloaf to a foil pan and top with marinara sauce. Place pan back in smoker for 20 – 30 more minutes until internal temperature reaches 155 – 160 degrees. Prior to putting the marinara-topped meatloaf back in the smoker, let the smoke die out. If your smoker is still producing smoke, tent the foil pan with foil so the marinara sauce doesn’t absorb smoke.
10. Remove meatloaf from smoker, slice and enjoy! I like to heat any remaining marinara sauce and spoon it over the top.

Smoked (& Stuffed) Italian Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 1 small red pepper, seeded, diced
* 1 onion, diced
* 2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
* 1 pound ground turkey (I used 99% lean turkey breast)
* 4 egg whites
* 3/4 cup bread crumbs (I used Gia Russa Whole Grain Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs)
* 1 cup grated Parmesan
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
* 2 tablespoons chopped basil leaves
* 1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
* 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (use less for a lower fat version)
* 1 cup marinara sauce

Directions:

1. Heat smoker to 250 degrees.
2. Saute the pepper, onion and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Set aside to cool.
3. When sauteed vegetables are cool, add them to the ground turkey in a large bowl. Add all other ingredients, except Italian cheese blend and marinara sauce. Combine ingredients in bowl, but forget using a spoon! Use your hands to knead the mixture together (fun, huh?).
4. Place this mixture on a large piece of waxed or parchment paper and flatten into a large rectangle about 1/2″ thick.
5. Sprinkle the Italian cheese blend evenly over the top of the meat mixture.
6. Pull up one side of the parchment or waxed paper and begin to roll the meatloaf, using the paper to guide the meat so that it doesn’t break apart.
7. When roll is complete, press the ends of the meat together smoothly, so the cheese is completely enclosed. Add smoking wood of your choice to your firebox (we used cherry) and put meatloaf directly on the smoker grate or in a shallow pan.
8. Smoke meatloaf for about 3 hours, or until the internal meat temperature reaches about 155- 160 degrees. Do not add more smoking wood.
9. Move meatloaf to a foil pan and top with marinara sauce. Place pan back in smoker for 20 – 30 more minutes until internal temperature reaches 160 – 165 degrees. Prior to putting the marinara-topped meatloaf back in the smoker, let the smoke die out. If your smoker is still producing smoke, tent the foil pan with foil so the marinara sauce doesn’t absorb smoke.
10. Remove meatloaf from smoker, slice and enjoy! I like to heat any remaining marinara sauce and spoon it over the top.

Note: The raw turkey version will be a bit stickier and less firm than the beef version. But don’t worry! Once you’ve rolled it, made your loaf and transferred it to the smoker, it will hold together just fine.

Don’t want to wait for us to put a box together for you? Call us at (816) 587-9990 and we’ll make a gift box to your specifications that you can pick up at your convenience!

Our Ultimate BBQ gift boxes are always a hit at the holidays! So, of course, we’re once again producing our fantastic Ultimate Pork Puller’s Kits and Ultimate Brisket Boxes. We pack a sturdy and attractive gift box with useful tools and tasty barbecue sauces and seasonings, and we even throw in a recipe card! Check our these fantastic gifts below, and be on the watch for more gift sets over the next several weeks.

The Ultimate Pork Puller’s Kit: Give your favorite BBQ enthusiast the tools to make pulled pork worthy of a trophy at the American Royal BBQ contest! This gift set includes
(1) 4.5 oz bottle of Bad Byron’s Butt Rub
(1) pint of Blues Hog Tennessee Red Sauce (This is a zippy vinegar-based sauce. It’s not hot!)
(1) party pak of Butcher BBQ Pork Injection
(1) Deluxe Cajun Injector
(1) pair of Bear Paws Meat Handling Tools
Plus, we’ve made a handy recipe card with step-by-step instructions for prepping and smoking pork butts.
Price: $41.73
Buy Online Now!

The Ultimate Brisket Box: Mastering the art of perfectly smoked brisket is do-able with this set of Backyard Bash’s favorite brisket tools, seasonings and sauce! Thrill the barbecue-lovers in your life with the following:
(1) 6.5 oz bottle of Three Little Pigs Memphis Rub
(1) 6 oz bottle of Head Country Seasoning
(1) 16 oz bottle of Rufus Teague Touch of Heat BBQ Sauce
(1) Jaccard 15-Blade Meat Tenderizer
(1) Charcoal Companion Rosewood-Handle Sauce Mop
And, of course, the set wouldn’t be complete without step-by-step instructions for preparing and smoking brisket.
Price: $52.83
Buy Online Now!

From the recipe box of Robert Frazier of Pyro Pig BBQ, this savory corn and cilantro tart is the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dinner table! Imagine a buttery cornmeal crust with a hint of brown sugar filled with a delightful combination of cilantro, corn, ham, eggs, Asiago cheese and other veggies. Robert developed this recipe to enter into the veggie category at BBQ contests like the American Royal. You’ll be able to taste the time he put into perfecting flavors in this beautiful side dish.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 tbsp. Brown sugar
3 eggs
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup all purpose flour
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
2 cups fresh (or frozen) corn kernels, about 3 ears
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
½ cup Asiago cheese
½ cup finely diced ham
2 tbls finely diced jalapeno
1 tsp. salt, divided
¼ tsp. black pepper
½ teaspoon lime juice
¼ cup onion
¼ cup red bell pepper

Instructions:

For cornmeal crust:
1. In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter.
2. Beat in one egg until combined.
3. Add cornmeal, flour, and ½ tsp. salt and mix until a ball forms.
4. Form dough into a disc and wrap in plastic. Chill 30 to 60 minutes.
5. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.
6. Pat dough onto bottom and sides of a 9 inch tart pan. Press out dough evenly with a small glass.
7. Line pastry with a double thickness of foil and bake for 10 minutes.
8. Remove foil. Bake 4 to 6 minute more.

Filling:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the 2 eggs and the half-and-half.
2. Stir in corn, diced ham, cilantro, Asiago cheese, diced jalapeno, ½ tsp salt, pepper, lime juice, onion and red bell pepper.
3. Pour into pastry shell. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until set.
4. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove sides of pan to serve.

Turkey kits come in 4 different varieties: the Traditional Turkey Kit, the Turkey w/a Twist Kit, the Turkey w/a Kick Kit and the BBQ-Style Turkey Kit. Click on the thumbnail images for larger views!

Traditional Turkey Kit: If you love the traditional Thanksgiving flavors of sage, garlic and herbs, this is the kit for you! It includes a bottle of savory and delicious Three Little Pigs Poultry Seasoning, a Deluxe Cajun Injector and a bottle of Roasted Garlic & Herb Injectable Marinade. $20.09

Turkey w/a Twist Kit: This kit will bring a few new flavors to the Thanksgiving table! Dizzy Pig Tsunami Spin rub has long been a favorite of Backyard Bash for turkey, as it combines traditional flavors with ginger, sesame and other exotic spices. Also included in the kit: Cajun Injector Turkey Gold Marinade and a Deluxe Cajun Injector. $23.73

BBQ-Style Turkey Kit: If Kansas City-style sweet and spicy barbecue is your thing, then you’ll love this kit. A 16oz bottle of Plowboy’s Yardbird Rub flavor your turkey with paprika, chili pepper, sugar, garlic and more. Plus, you’ll get a Deluxe Cajun Injector and a bottle of Cajun Injector Turkey Gold Marinade. $22.99

Turkey w/a Kick Kit: If you love to add a little heat to your holiday cooking, you’ll give thanks for this kicked-up kit. Dizzy Pig Swamp Venom keeps spicy Southern cooking traditions alive with African bird pepper, cayenne, rubbed sage, onion and garlic. Combine that with Cajun Injector Turkey Gold Marinade and a Deluxe Cajun Injector for a bird that is anything but boring. $23.73

How to sign up online:

1. Visit Backyard Bash’s new web store.
2. Under the “SHOP FOR” heading, choose “Cooking Classes.”
3. View class titles and dates and click the green text or the photos to get more information.
4. Once you’ve chosen a class, place the class in your shopping cart by clicking the green “Add to Cart” button above the full class description. If you are making reservations for more than one person, enter the number of people attending the class into the “Quantity” field.
5. Proceed to checkout and make sure you enter your phone number and email address! Our secure checkout allows Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover transactions.
6. You’re signed up! We’ll send you a confirmation email as soon as we see the reservation in the store. Keep in mind the following store hours:

Tues. – Fri. 10 A.M. – 6 P.M.
Sat. 10 A.M. – 4P.M.
Sun. 11 A.M. – 3 P.M.
Mon. Closed

If you make your reservation after our regular store hours or on Monday, your confirmation email will not be sent until the following business day.

Our classes are held at Backyard Bash’s retail location in beautiful Parkville, Missouri, part of the Kansas City Metro. For more information and class policies, visit our Classes page!

We hope you’ll help spread the word to your family and friends that there’s a new source for BBQ supplies on the web. And let them know that the same friendly folks who’ve been taking your orders in the store for all these years will be filling their orders online.

Just click the “Shop Now” tab, and you’ll have access to over 200 products, including BBQ sauces, seasonings, tools, accessories, thermometers, cutlery and cookbooks!

And be sure to take advantage of our FREE SHIPPING* offer on orders over $75 through August 31st, 2011 in honor of our online grand opening!

*includes regular UPS Ground shipping only. Orders must be placed through our web store shopping cart.

Our instructor, Chris Marks, is an 8-time American Royal Grand Champion, owner of Three Little Pigs BBQ & Catering and General Manager of Ace of Hearts BBQ Specialties. Make his years of experience work for you!

View our class schedule…