In a large bowl, with clean hands, lightly mix together the 2 lbs ground beef, 2 minced garlic cloves, .7 oz packet of Italian Dressing Mix, 1 cup panko bread crumbs, ⅓ cup milk, 2 lightly beaten eggs, ½ cup parmesan cheese. Do not overmix the meatloaf mixture or it will have a tough texture.
In a 9x13 glass casserole pan pour about ½ cup marinara sauce onto the bottom of the pan. Dump the Italian meatloaf mixture out into the pan and shape into a meatloaf, about 2 ½ inch tall, 6 inches wide and about 11 inches long (roughly)
Pour the rest of the jarred marinara over the meatloaf. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, bake uncovered for another 10 minutes. The center of the meatloaf should read 165 degrees with an instant thermometer.
1 cup shredded mozzarella
Let cool for about 5 minutes and then slice and serve!
Notes
Freezing your Italian Meatloaf:You can freeze leftover cooked meatloaf. Keep in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. To serve thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat at 350 degrees until it is warmed through. If you plan to freeze the whole meatloaf leave the mozzarella off until you thaw and reheat:To reheat and serve a whole meatloaf let the frozen meatloaf thaw in the fridge overnight. Cook in a 350 degree oven until it is heated through, then top with mozzarella and bake for an additional 10 minutes."Ribbon" style packaged ground beef: