When I made my annual Christmas Pasta for the holiday this year we discovered that both my mom and I had shopped for the ingredients, so we had lots of leftover hot and sweet sausage and ground beef in the fridge. The next day, this recipe was born.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 big patties

　　2 tablespoons EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) plus some for drizzling

　　1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped

　　1 large onion, chopped

　　2 celery ribs, chopped

　　1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

　　Salt and black pepper

　　3/4 pound bulk hot sausage

　　3/4 pound bulk sweet sausage

　　1/2 pound ground beef

　　1 egg

　　3/4 cup bread crumbs (3 generous handfuls), Italian or plain

　　1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese (a couple of handfuls)

　　1/8 pound pancetta (4 slices), chopped

　　3 garlic cloves, chopped

　　1/2 cup beef stock

　　1 can petite-diced tomatoes or stewed tomatoes

　　1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

　　2 teaspoons hot sauce

　　6 cups mixed greens

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425°F.

　　

Step 2

Heat a small skillet over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. When the oil is hot, add the red bell pepper, half the onion, celery, and carrots and sauté together for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate to cool.

　　

Step 3

Combine the sausage and ground beef with the egg, bread crumbs, cheese, and cooled sautéed vegetables, mixing well. Form 4 large oval-shaped patties no more than 1 1/4 inches thick and arrange them on a cookie sheet. Drizzle the patties with EVOO and bake for 17 to 18 minutes, until cooked through.

　　

Step 4

Heat a medium saucepot over medium high heat. Add a drizzle of EVOO to the pan, and add then the pancetta. Let the pancetta crisp up a bit and render its fat, then add the remaining chopped onion and the garlic and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the beef stock and tomatoes and season the sauce heavily with coarsely ground black pepper. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce and reduce the heat to low.

　　

Step 5

Serve the meatloaf patties topped with the Italian barbecue sauce and a green salad alongside.

　　Rachael Ray Express Lane Meals