Instructions: This is my mothers recipe. Everyone loves it, and the cold leftovers are also excellent. I havent tasted it in years (since Im a vegetarian), but it is one of the few meat dishes I really miss.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Break egg into mixing bowl. Beat well.

Add beef mixture, chopped onion, uncooked oatmeal, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of the tomato juice, and half of the sliced mushrooms (drained). Mix until combined.

Shape dough into ball, then loaf.

Place loaf in baking pan.

Bake 1/2 hour.

Evenly pour about 1/2 cup additional tomato juice over meat loaf, and sprinkle with remaining sliced mushrooms (drained).

Bake about 45 - 50 minutes longer.

Pour contents of can of beef gravy into baking dish. Stir well.

Bake 10 - 15 minutes longer.

VARIATIONS: If preferred, sliced (and drained) pimiento-stuffed olives can be substituted for one can of the mushrooms, and use the olives in the loaf, and the mushrooms in the gravy. (This variation is especially appealing for cold leftover slices.)

If preferred, a standard ketchup/tomato sauce glaze can be substituted for the beef gravy ... Or, you could obviously make the gravy from scratch.

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