Mix & Match Meatloaf

This was a really fun recipe my husband found in Food Network Magazine. He really likes meatloaf so I'm always looking for new versions to try. This recipe is a mix-and-match recipe so you can choose what you like!

I placed an asterisk next to the ingredients we chose for our meatloaf, since we know that was good! For our bacon bits we bought the large bag of bacon bits out at Costco so instead of putting strips of bacon on top of the loaf I sprinkled more bits on top. Post in the comments what combos you guys try. Did you like it? Did you wish you had tried something different?

Meat
Choose 1 & 1/2 lbs from the meats listed, any combo:
*Ground beef*
*Ground turkey*
Ground veal
*Ground pork*

Binder
Choose 1 cup from the binders below, choose one:
Breadcrumbs
Instant rice (uncooked)
Cornflakes
Crackers or *croutons*, crushed
Fine bulgur (uncooked)
Oats
Instant potato flakes (only 1/2 cup)
Quick-cooking barley (uncooked, only 1/2 cup)

Vegetable
Choose 1-2 cups from the vegetables below, choose one:
*Carrots*, shredded
Spinach, frozen chopped then thawed and squeezed dry
Swiss chard or kale, finely chopped
Bell peppers, finely chopped
Mushrooms, finely chopped
Zucchini, shredded and squeezed dry
Celery, finely chopped and sauteed

Herbs
Choose 2 Tbsp of the herbs below, any combo:
Parsley
*Chives*
*Basil*
Thyme

Mix-In (Optional)
Choose 1/2 cup, pick up to two:
Raisins or prunes, chopped
Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
*Cooked bacon*, chopped
Pickles or gherkins, chopped
Canned green chilis or pickled jalapenos, chopped
Walnuts, chopped
Roasted red peppers, chopped
*Shredded cheese* (up to 1 cup)

Remaining Ingredients
The rest of these ingredients go in the meatloaf regardless of the other ingredients you chose:
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup ketchup
2 eggs
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 & 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Place each of the chose ingredients in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix with hands until just combined.
• Shape in to 9 x 5 inch oval loaf and place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Top with strips of bacon, if desired.
• Bake about half way, approximately 30 minutes.
• Brush top and sides with a glaze (recipes listed below) and continue baking approximately another 25 minutes. Thermometer in center of loaf should read 160 degrees.
• Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Glazes

Classic: Mix 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 tsp brown sugar, and 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce.

*Garlic-Herb*: Mix 1/4 cup ketchup, 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp brown sugar, 1 grated garlic clove, and 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning.

Spicy BBQ: Mix 1/4 BBQ sauce, 2 tsp honey, 1 tsp chipotle chile powder, and 1 tsp cider vinegar.

Tangy: Mix 1/4 cup ketchup, 2 Tbsp apricot preserves, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice vinegar, and 1 tsp ground ginger.