The Insanely Delicious Vegetable "MeatLoaf" Recipe That'll Make You Love Meatless Monday

As a child, I hated meatloaf. Along with spaghetti bolognese, shepherd’s pie and chicken cacciatore, it was one of the few dishes we had on rotation for mid-week dinners. Don’t get me wrong, I loved my mother’s cooking, but this was one meal I couldn’t get on board with.
To me, meat was never meant to resemble bread. The concept of squashing minced beef into a baking tin and cooking it into a slab was far from appetising. Since I’ve grown up—and I now cook for myself—meatloaf is never on the menu. That is unless it’s Monday where the meatloaf comes meatless in my household.
This recipe is packed full of vegetables, making it high in fibre and protein. It requires a bit of time to cook and cool but it’s fairly effortless, perfect for those mid-week nights where you just cbf.

Meatless Meatloaf Recipe

Ingredients

1 (335 g) zucchini, cut into 5 cm (2-inch) pieces
1 (200 g) red capsicum, seeded and quartered
1 (200 g) yellow capsicum, seeded and quartered
5 garlic cloves
60 ml (2 ounces) olive oil
450 g (1 pound) mushrooms, sliced
180 ml (¾ cup) ketchup
60 ml (¼ cup) balsamic vinegar
40 g (½ cup) nutritional yeast
50 g (½ cup) oat flour
20 g (¼ cup) porridge oats
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons (10 g) chopped parsley
1 Tablespoon fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Method

1. Using your blender*, secure the lid and remove the lid plug.
2. Turn on low and drop zucchini pieces in, one by one, through the lid plug. You may need to use your tamper to push them into the blades. Remove courgette and place in separate bowl.
3. Repeat step three with capsicum and garlic
4. Heat a large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until tender and all liquid has evaporated.
5. Add capsicum, courgette, thyme and garlic to the mushroom. Cook until all liquid has evaporated.
6. Add balsamic vinegar and allow to reduce by half.
7. Add ketchup, oats, oat flour, yeast and parsley to mixture and stir to combine. Remove and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
8. Add egg, mix to combine.
9. Prepare a 20 cm x 10 cm (8-inch x 4-inch) loaf tin with parchment paper and baking spray. Add mixture into the loaf tin.
10. In a preheated 180°C (350°F) oven, place loaf pan in and cook for 45 minutes.
11. When done, allow to cool for an hour, slice into 10 portions.
12. To serve, line baking sheet with parchment and place portions onto baking sheet.
13. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 10 minutes or until warm through, serve immediately.