Meatless Loaf

You can't get a more homestyle comfort food than "meatloaf" and mashed potatoes... it's been 10 years since I even tried to make something like this, but with the new vegan plant protein grounds, it's possible again. This is honestly the best "meatloaf" I ever made. My family cleaned their plates tonight. This recipe will make 2 loaves, so you may want to divide it if you're not feeding a big family. I like to make one for dinner & one for sandwiches tomorrow, so I made two. 

Recipe- 

8 oz. White mushrooms 

1 medium carrot, chopped & peeled 

8 oz. Chopped spinach 

Olive oil to saute (optional)

2 (12 oz.) Packs of ground plant protein (like Beyond beef)

1 Tbsp. Greek seasoning*

1 Tbsp. Soy sauce

1 tsp. Cumin

1 tsp. Paprika

1 envelope of onion soup mix

Red pepper flakes (optional) 

Salt & pepper 

1 cup bread crumbs 

6 oz. Tomato paste 

1/2 cup vegan cream cheese 

4 oz. Shredded vegan cheddar cheese 

For the glaze- 

1 cup ketchup 

1 Tbsp. Yellow mustard 

1/8 cup brown sugar 

Method- 

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Chop mushrooms, carrot, & spinach in a food processor until fine. 

3. Saute your chopped veggies over medium heat with a little olive oil, until tender and the "water" has cooked out of the mushrooms. 

4. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked veggies, ground plant protein, Greek seasoning*, soy sauce, cumin, paprika, onion soup mix, red pepper flakes, salt & pepper, bread crumbs, tomato paste, vegan cream cheese, and vegan cheddar cheese. The best way to do this is with your hands. Mix well.

5. Coat a cookie sheet with non stick spray.

6. Divide your meatless mixture in half. Form 2 loaves. 

7. Place the loaves on your cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes. 

8. Mix the ingredients for your glaze together  in a mixing bowl. 

9. Remove the loaves from the oven and coat with the glaze.

10. Return to the oven and cook 15 more minutes. Glaze should become caramelized. 

11. Remove from the oven and let rest 5 minutes.  Check to make sure it is cooked throughly. If it is not cooked throughly, return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes.

*I use Cavender's All Purpose Greek Seasoning (see picture below). It is easy to find at almost any grocery store in the spice isle. It is usually near the bottom shelf with the other specialty spices (like Ms. Dash). You can also order it off Amazon for under $5. It's really worth purchasing. We use it almost daily.

If you want to just use what you have on hand, Italian seasoning will work too. Still use 1 Tbsp.. it may seem like a lot, but the beefless ground products are really bland & need a lot of flavor.