Meatless loaf

I've already written about my view of meat substitutes. They're helpful in bridging the veggie/ non-veggie gap. So why would I make an entree out of this stuff? It's pretty good.

I was looking for a new recipe a while back and stumbled across this on Allrecipes. Since that first time I made it, we've made a few modifications. I should also add that this stuff is really good as leftovers. Maybe the next modification will be preparing it ahead of time.

This really turned into a meat and potatoes meal, again, although I did use fresh green beans. With a little oil, some salt, and some vegetable broth powder they were quite tasty!


Meatless Loaf

1 package Lightlife ground beef style
1 package Morningstar crumbles
1 onion, diced
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons vegetarian Worcestershire, if you have it
Bread crumbs, or Ritz crackers
Ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar

Mix these ingredients together with your hands. I recommend leaving everything out on the counter for a while so you don't freeze your fingers with the frozen crumbles and cold ground stuff. I don't have measurements for the ketchup or crackers, I just like to make sure that everything binds together pretty well.

Press into a loaf pan and top with a sauce made from ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. Microwave this to melt the sugar and pour on top. I usually use about 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and a generous squirt of mustard, probably just over one tablespoon.

Bake at 350F for 45-60 minutes. I usually turn off the oven after 45 minutes and let it sit in the hot oven for the last 15 minutes.

You can probably see all the onions in my photo. We both like onions, plus it breaks up the veggie product, but you can certainly use less. The original recipe calls for 1/2 of the Lightlife ground, but I started using the whole thing because the other half was always going to waste. It's pretty tasty. I also omit the milk the original calls for and instead squirt in enough ketchup to moisten everything. The orignal recipe also calls for seasoning with salt, pepper, and sage, which I never do. I find the veggie products salty already and I just don't have sage. I know it's traditional for meatloaf, but --surprise!-- I never enjoyed meatloaf.