Meat Loaf with Variations

Description
A hearty family meal, susceptible to many variations. The second day; slice it thin and make sandwiches on rye bread with sweet pickles.
 * Contributed by Catsrecipes Y-Group
 * Source: The Fannie Farmer Cookbook by Marion Cunningham
 * Typed By: Susan Godfrey 
 * Serves 8

Ingredients

 * 2 cups freshly made bread crumbs
 * 1 onion, chopped fine
 * 2 eggs, slightly beaten
 * 2 lbs ground beef
 * 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
 * 1½ tsp dry mustard
 * 1½ tsp salt
 * ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
 * ½ cup milk

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a loaf pan. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl; your freshly washed hands are the best tools for the job. Pat into the loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.

Meat Loaf with Parsley and Tomato
Omit the Worcestershire sauce and mustard; in place of the milk, use ½ cup of juice from a can of tomatoes and add ½ cup minced parsley plus ½ tsp basil, crumbled. Pat into pan and cover with ½ cup of the tomatoes from the can, roughly chopped, or ½ cup tomato sauce.

Meat Loaf with Cheese
Omit the Worcestershire sauce and add ½ cup grated cheese.

Meat Loaf with Bacon
After patting the loaf into the pan, cover with 4 strips uncooked bacon.

Meat Loaf with Three Meats
Instead of 2 lbs ground beef, use 1 lb ground beef mixed with a pound ground veal and ⅓ pound ground pork. Red wine may be used instead of the milk if desired. Bake 1 hour.

Meat Loaf with Lemon and Mushroom Sauce
Omit the Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard and add 1 Tbsp grated lemon rind, 2 Tbsp minced parsley, and 1 tsp nutmeg. Serve with 1 recipe Mushroom Sauce.

Individual Muffin-size Meat Loaves
Instead of using a loaf pan, pack the meat into muffin tins or Pyrex baking cups, top each with a square of bacon, and bake for only 25 minutes at 400°F. Turn out and serve with tomato sauce.