Meat Loaf With Hard Boiled Eggs

2 to 3 slices Italian bread cut into ½-inch cubes, to make 1 cup

1 6-oz can tomato juice

2 lbs ground beef chuck

2 eggs

¼ cup finely chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried

2 T chopped fresh parsley

11/2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine bread and tomato juice. Let stand 10

minutes to soften bread. Add beef, eggs, onion, garlic, thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix

with your hands or a wooden spoon to blend well.

On apiece of wax paper set on a baking sheet, flatten meat into a

12x8-inch rectangle. Arrange a line of hard-cooked eggs lengthwise down center of

rectangle. Using paper to help lift meat, roll from long side into a sausage shape. Pinch edges

to seal. Bake, seam side down, 30 minutes, until firm to touch.

**From the cook book, " 365 Easy Italian Recipes " published 1991