1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground lean pork
2 eggs
1/2 c. fine bread crumbs
3/4 c. chopped parsley
1/4 c. finely chopped chives
2 tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped or 1 tbsp. dried basil (optional)
1/4 c. green pepper, coarsely chopped (optional)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Bacon slices to cover top

1. Preheat oven to moderate (350 degrees).

2. In a mixing bowl combine all the ingredients except the bacon slices. Using the hands, blend well; do not overwork the meat or it will produce a meat loaf that is too tightly packed.

3. Line a 9 inch pie plate with aluminum foil and shape the meat mixture into an oval loaf. Place the loaf on the foil and cover with bacon slices.

4. Bake 1 1/2 hours. Serve with mushroom sauce or fresh tomato sauce.