Easy Vegan Meatloaf

All Photos © Christine Elise McCarthy 2015

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This is my first attempt at a vegan meatloaf.  I was determined not to use lentils or other distinctly NOT beefy ingredient – so I opted for Beyond Meat’s wonderfully versatile Beef-free Crumble.  I also could not use eggs so I needed some other ingredient to bind things.  Aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chick peas) is all the rage these days as an egg replacer – so I tried that.  My results were actually very good.  The only thing I would change is that I pureed all the ingredients & that left the meatloaf soft & without enough texture – so – I will recommend a different method in this post.

 

I used that rich & thick BBQ sauce – but you can use your own favorite – or make your own.  The only other thing that I did – which was a pain in the ass but necessary for photos – was use a terrine pan to bake the meatloaf.  I wanted the end result to be DEEP – and look hefty in photos.  You do not have that concern so just use a regular loaf pan.  Finally, I guess I have never had traditional meatloaf because that sugary, ketchup topping that seems standard is news to me.  I wasn’t going to use any but changed my mind – basically for the color it added in the photos.  If a brown sugar-ketchup topping sounds gross or unnecessary to you – blow it the fuck off.

Ketchup Brown Sugar Glaze

1/2  cup ketchup (or additional BBQ sauce)

1 TBS Dijon mustard

1 TBS vegan Worcestershire sauce (optional)

2 TBS light-brown sugar

Whisk the ingredients together

Easy Vegan Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS
2 (9 oz) bags of beefy crumbles

1 (15 oz) can chick peas & their liquid (UPDATE 11-30-15– several folks complained their meatloaf is too wet/soft when done.  Maybe drain & reserve the liquid from the can to add only if you feel your meatloaf is too dry before putting it in the oven.)

1/2 cup panko or other bread crumbs (UPDATE 11-30-15 – likewise – maybe add more bread crumbs or some flax or chia seeds to aid in binding – if you feel the “meat” is too wet.  It should be like a raw meatball – moist but can hold its shape)

Olive oil

1/2 small onion – diced

2 celery stalks – chopped

2 garlic cloves – chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 TBS crushed red pepper

1/4 cup BBQ sauce (plus more for topping)

1/4 cup Bloody Mary mix (or tomato juice) or 1/2 small tomato – diced

1 TBS fresh thyme – removed from stems

1/4 cup fresh parsley – chopped (plus more for garnish)

DIRECTIONS

First of all – ignore my photos of the terrine pan with the little ramekin holding my meatloaf in shape.  Just use a regular loaf pan.

Heat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large saute pan, heat a 1-2 TBS or so of olive oil & saute the onion & celery until soft.  Add the beefy crumbles & heat through.  Add the garlic & heat for another minute.  Mix in the panko or bread crumbs.  Set aside.

In a food processor – puree the chick peas & their juice.

Add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper, BBQ sauce and Bloody Mary mix (or tomato juice or tomato).  Blend.  Add about 1/2 of the beefy crumble mix from the pan & blend.  Add this mix from the food processor to the saute pan & mix in with the remaining, in tact beefy crumble mixture.

Grease a loaf pan (or treat it with cooking spray) and put the meatloaf mixture in it.  Top with BBQ sauce.

Put it in the oven for 45-60 minutes or until it begins to brown & is cooked through.  If you are using the ketchup glaze – make it while the meatloaf cooks & add it at about the 30 minute mark.  You need not use all of it & can serve the extra as a dipper or a fresh coat when the meatloaf comes out of the oven.

Let it sit a solid ten minutes before cutting into it.  Garnish with parsley & serve.

LEFTOVERS ALERT!!!  Make a meatloaf sandwich or a sloppy Joe or use the meat to stuff bell peppers or make a beef ragout pasta sauce or layer some in a lasagna.  Why not make chili?  So many ways to re-purpose this stuff!