New Year’s Eve Vegan “Meatloaf”

This New Year’s, like most others, my husband and I stayed home and decided last minute to see who else might be up for a quiet night at the Morland’s. In this post I talked about what I did GREAT in 2018 and how I wanted to do MOAR of these things in 2019.

One of my ROARS for 2018 I can’t wait to do more of in 2019 is growing my FAITH. I truly believe we are all given GIFTS from our creator and we’re meant to share these for the benefit of others. God has certainly blessed me with an incredible family, friends, work I love, and talents. I love to spend time in my kitchen preparing delicious food for others. My kitchen is truly my happy place so when I am not working in my office, running, or at the gym, I am probably in my kitchen. Lucky you?.

Luckily no one really cares they’re trying out new new recipes at they’re own risk…but most often, pleasantly surprised?!

I have made a few vegan meatloafs in the past, but I have to admit, this one is now my favorite! “No it’s not a “fruit cake” even though it may look like one.”

In all seriousness, this is tasty and pretty enough for a New Year’s Eve gathering but also easy enough to be enjoyed any night of the week! And even non-vegans will love this meat-free version because it’s packed full of flavor and satisfying too!

The last vegan meatloaf I made was with lentils, which don’t get me wrong, was delicious, but it didn’t firm up as well as this one. I loved the combination of black beans and this bean which I found on Azurestandards. I love everything about Italy espeically the food so they got me when I saw these are an Italian speciality?.

The other thing I loved about this recipe is it’s best if you make it in advance which makes it perfect for entertaining. I made it the day before New Year’s Eve so all I had to do was put in the oven 30 minutes before we sat down to dinner.

So if you’re looking for a fun & tasty vegan recipe for your next dinner party, or heck, try it out on Meatless Monday with your family….They’ll be very receptive and probably have seconds! It’s that GOOD!

THIS VEGAN MEATLOAF IS:

• Gluten-free
• Free of seitan
• Plant-based
• Packed with protein
• Meat-free
• Spicy
• Hearty
• Flavorful
• Satisfying
• Easy to make

VEGAN MEATLOAF

INGREDENTS:

• 2 big potatoes, peeled
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 2/3 cup chopped onion 
• 2 medium-sized ribs of celery chopped
• 1 medium carrot chopped
• 2 medium parsnips chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• Spice mix: 1/2 tbsp onion powder, 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 3/4 tsp sea salt, pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp  balsamic vinegar
• Two 15 oz cans of your choice of beans
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds for a nut-free version
• 1 cup gluten free oats, preferably instant oats
• 2 tbsp tomato paste  
• Serve with hot sauce (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Chop potatoes, transfer them to a pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes or until tender, drain. Transfer back to the pot and mash with a potato masher (don’t use a food processor or blender).
2. Time to preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
3. While the potatoes cook, heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet or pan over medium heat and add chopped onion.
4. Fry for about 3 minutes, then add celery, carrots, parsnips, garlic, all spices, soy sauce, and balsamic vinegar and fry for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add beans and turn off the heat after one minute.
5. Transfer the bean/veggie mixture to the pot with the mashed potatoes and add tomato paste, oats, and chopped walnuts.
6. Use the potato masher or your hands to mix everything together.
7. Line an 8-inch or 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper and put the meatloaf mixture into the pan.Press it down firmly.
8. Bake in the oven for about 40-50 minutes. Carefully take the loaf out of the pan once it has cooled a bit and then let it cool completely. It will be still quite soft during the first 2 hours, so it’s best to put it into the fridge for at least 3 hours (or overnight) to firm up. You can reheat it in the oven! Serve with hot sauce, ketchup and/or a mushroom sauce!

—————————————————————————————————————————————— COMMENTS ARE WELCOMED!

Do you prefer staying home for New Year’s or Dining out?

Have you made a “meatless” meatloaf?

What is your Number One thing you did GREAT in 2018 you want to do MORE of in 2019?