12 meat stuffing recipes

Greek-style turkey stuffing with three meats, chestnuts, pine nuts, and white raisins simmered in red wine and tomato paste. A meat-forward holiday stuffing with rice instead of bread cubes.

Italian stuffed meatloaf layered with zucchini, mushrooms, black olives, and mozzarella, blanketed in spaghetti sauce. A showstopping party loaf that serves a crowd of twenty.

All-purpose Mediterranean meat and rice stuffing with fresh mint, parsley, and dill. Fills vine leaves, cabbage, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant, and peppers for dolma-style dishes.

Italian rabbit saddles boned, rolled around a garlic-olive-rosemary stuffing, then seared and braised in fresh tomato sauce. Rustic Tuscan cooking at its most honest.

Variation: Peas, hard-cooked eggs, artichoke hearts, olives, pimientos or many other foods may be used in place of the mushrooms. Swiss, Muenster, Monterey Jack, Tilsit. Mozzarella or any other cheese may be substituted for the Cheddar cheese.

Italian-style stuffed meatloaf rolls ground beef around hard-boiled eggs, salami, ham, mozzarella, and parmesan, then simmers in tomato sauce. A classic polpettone showstopper.

Stuffed Italian meatloaf packs ground beef with parmesan and garlic, then hides a melty mozzarella core. Browned and braised in tomato sauce for a rustic pot-roast-style finish.

Vegetable stuffed meat loaf with shredded carrot and potato tucked inside lean ground beef, slow cooker friendly with a ketchup mustard glaze. The classic comfort dinner with a hidden vegetable surprise.

Savory stuffed meat loaf hides a sage-and-thyme bread stuffing inside a bacon-studded ground beef shell. Two classic Sunday-dinner sides merge into one hearty pan.

Stuffed polenta with meat sauce: two layers of Parmesan polenta sandwiching a meaty tomato-basil sauce and mozzarella, baked hot until bubbly. A lighter Italian alternative to lasagna.

Traditional meat dolma: small green bell peppers stuffed with seasoned meat and rice, gently simmered over parsley stems until tender. Served hot with cool yogurt on the side.

Serve this pleasant and unusual entree with sprigs of watercress dipped in a well-flavoured vinaigrette.