I really do not make traditional meals, which at times I feel a slight pang of guilt that I am not doing my motherly duty. Meals like Shepherd’s pie, Sloppy Joe’s, Meatloaf: they do not make appearances on my dinner table. In my attempt at meal-time compromise, I have embarked on this recipe for the my foodie call family.
Vegetarian Meatloaf
Gather your ingredients
A couple of things to note about your ingredients:
- BBQ sauce– BBQ can be an insane source of sugar. Watch this. Read your ingredient label. Try to find one that has the least amount of sugar and without high fructose corn syrup.
- Vegetarian ground beef– give it a chance, will ya? Actually very yummy.
Look for something like this in your grocery store. Most likely near the tofu. You probably ignore that section. Go visit.
- Bread crumbs– Buy the Whole Wheat. Healthier. More fiber…just better. Available everywhere.
- Green pepper– Try to get organic if possible. They are one of the Dirty Dozen.
Always try to choose the darkest color possible when choosing your produce. The darkest green, the darkest red….get it?
On to the recipe.
This recipe is adapted from the Dr. Oz recipe off of his website.
Vegetarian Meatloaf
2 cups BBQ sauce
1 (12 oz.) package vegetarian burger crumbles
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp parsley flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 325° F. Lightly grease a 5×9 inch loaf pan. In a bowl, mix 1 1/2 cups of the barbecue sauce with the vegetarian burger crumbles, green bell pepper, seasoning, garlic, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and egg. Season with thyme, basil, parsley, salt and pepper. Transfer and press into the loaf pan.
Starting to look “loaf-like”
Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Pour remaining barbecue sauce over the loaf, and continue baking 15 minutes, or until loaf is set.
Not as thick as traditional meatloaf, but makes up for it with its’ moisture. Yum.
My Foodie Call 