The Perfect Meatloaf - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Meatloaf
3/4 cup whole milk
6 slices white bread
2 lbs ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
fresh ground black pepper
1/2 diced onion
4 beaten eggs
10 slices bacon
Sauce
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Tabasco sauce (optional)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour milk over the bread slices. Allow it to soak in for several minutes.
Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Add in your beaten eggs.
USE YOUR HANDS and git in there, mix it up well.
Form into a log. Hint: don't \"smoosh\" it down to tight, that just compacts the meat and tends to make for a dense er heavy meatloaf. I honest and truly believe THIS step was the defining factor in the most juiciest meatloaf I have ever eaten.
Lay bacon slices across the top, width wise, tucking the ends underneath the meatloaf.
Spread a good amount of sauce onto your loaf, leaving a little for your second application later in cooking process.
Bake for 45 minutes, then slather the rest of the sauce over the top.
Bake for 15 more minutes or so, you can raise oven temperature to 400 after the second application,.