Fool a Carnivore

Taking the Meat out of Meatloaf – Redux!

Date: / By Nancy Olah

Taking the Meat out of Meatloaf was my most popular post last year  . . . but many of you pointed out that I neglected to indicate the amount of oatmeal to use.

Talk about feeling like a total dunce!

Well, I’ve tinkered with this recipe a half-dozen times since then, and think that I’ve finally gotten the right balance of oatmeal to Beyond Beef and have significantly improved the taste and texture with my new recipe.

First of all, I buzzed the 3/4 cup of organic rolled oats in my blender, which breaks up the oats and allows them to incorporate more fully with the Beyond Beef.

oats to keep to meat together as a binding agent

I’ve also figured out that lining my baking dish with an aluminum foil sling makes it much easier to remove the meatloaf, which simplifies slicing and makes for a prettier presentation.

foil lined pyrex dish to hold your meat as it's baking

If you’ve ever made brownies and lined your plan with an aluminum foil sling . . . it’s exactly the same idea.  Because I want the topping side up, this is an easy way to unmold the meatloaf easily.

To Make Your Sling…

Fold two sheets of aluminum foil so that they are as wide as each side of your loaf pan.  Lay the folded sheets of foil, perpendicular to each other, with the extra foil hanging over the sides of the loaf pan.  Push the foil into the corners and then up the sides of the pan. Smooth out the wrinkles and then spray all the foil with non-stick spray before adding your meatloaf mixture.

This recipe is redefined for 2020 to help anyone craving meatloaf to cut out the meat and go vegetarian!

meatloaf straight out of the oven

See How Easy That Is!

I was able to get my cooled meatloaf out of the loaf pan and cut it into perfectly even slices.

Of course, I used my favorite plant-based ground beef, Beyond Beef. One of the most important aspects to consider when fooling a carnivore is the texture, and I found that Beyond Beef has a texture that imitates ground beef the best, out of all the meat analogs!

beyond meat plant based protein

I streamlined the recipe by deleting the sautéed veggies and last but not least, I increased the amount of topping because my sweet hubby always likes some extra topping on the side of his plate. Take a look at this cross-section, it almost does look like it has meat in it!

taking the meat out of meatloaf

Please try this simple, easy way to take the meat out of meatloaf!

PS:  Even my 95-year-old mother-in-law was a fan!

meatless meatloaf cross-section

 

Taking the Meat out of Meatloaf - Redux!
 
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Recipe type: Weekend Meals
Cuisine: American
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • ¾ cup organic rolled oats
  • ½ cup of organic milk
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon creole seasoning (My Spice Sage makes a great blend with oregano, thyme, black pepper, red pepper, garlic powder, ground celery seed, and paprika) OR substitute 1 teaspoon Old Bay
  • 2 tablespoons Ian’s Gluten-Free Panko
  • 1 16-ounce package Beyond Beef, thawed
  • Several grinds of black pepper and sea salt
  • Topping
  • 1 cup organic ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons organic brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 3 tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • Several grinds black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a small loaf pan with non-stick spray. Then using two sheets of non-stick aluminum foil, create a foil sling to allow the meatloaf to be easily removed after cooking. To make your sling, fold two sheets of aluminum foil so that they are as wide as each side of your loaf pan. Lay the folded sheets of foil, perpendicular to each other, with the extra foil hanging over the sides of the loaf pan. Push the foil into the corners and then up the sides of the pan. Smooth out the wrinkles and then spray all the foil with non-stick spray before adding your meatloaf mixture.
  2. Buzz the rolled oats in a blender or food processor. Put the oats in a large bowl and add the milk to make a kind of panade. Let the oats and milk sit for a minute or so, and then stir in the egg, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, creole seasoning (or Old Bay), and panko.
  3. Add the Beyond Beef and mix well. Season with black pepper and sea salt, and put the mixture in the prepared loaf pan.
  4. Mix the topping ingredients in a small bowl. Spread about half the topping over the top of the meatloaf and reserve the balance for serving.
  5. Put the loaf pan on a rimmed baking sheet to make it easier to take it out of the own. Bake the meatloaf for 45 minutes. Cool for at least 10-15 minutes on a wire rack.
  6. Use the foil sling to carefully lift the meatloaf and transfer it to a cutting board or serving platter to make it easier to slice. If you have greased the foil well, the foil should easily peel away.
Notes
© 2020 Nancy Olah
All Rights Reserved.