italian meatloaf

My twist on an old favorite

1 pound ground beef
1 cup milk 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs 1 large egg 1/2 cup mushrooms chopped and sautéed 1/2 onion, finely chopped and sautéed 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 center cut bacon strips
2 teaspoons fresh parsley chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh oregano
2 teaspoons fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1 cup mozzarella cheese shredded
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sauté mushrooms and onions in butter until soft. Fry bacon until crispy, drain and crumble. Set aside. Combine beef, 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, onion, mushrooms, egg, milk, garlic and salt in a large bowl. Mix well. On wax paper, form meat mixture into a 8x12 inch rectangle. Mix all herbs together in small bowl. Sprinkle meat with herbs and 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs. Spread bacon and cheese evenly over meat. Roll meat into an 8 inch wide loaf. Place meatloaf into an 8 inch glass bread pan or glass baking dish. Bake for 60 minutes. Pour tomato sauce over meatloaf, and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Let meatloaf sit for 5 minutes before slicing and serving.