the plant-based holiday dinner plate

Your NEW holiday entrée! Part 1: mini meatloaves!

Today I’m sharing my plant-based holiday dinner plate and everything that’s on it.

There are a lot of holidays coming up, family gatherings, and big meals and I want all of us to be prepared (i.e. not stressed). It might seem early, but we know how these autumn weeks fly by and before we know it, we’re scrambling and googling and trying to figure out what to cook.

For those of us who are serving two versions of said dinner — one plant-based and one omnivore — being geared up and ready to go is even more important. I like to know what main, sides, sauces, and desserts I’ll be preparing. So, bookmark, print, and save this post for those big feasts that are coming up!

This post will be broken down into two parts; Part 1 is the main and Part 2 is the sides/gravy.

PART 1

First and foremost, let’s address the main, the entrée, the leading lady on the plate.

And forgive me, but I have to say it, I’m tired of the loaf!

Every year we have the same question “What will we serve for the holidays?” And we always end up with loaf! Don’t get me wrong, I love a good loaf but the lentil loaf, the nut loaf, the vegan loaf has been overdone.

Let’s get some good, tasty, easier-to-serve, even more delicious plant-based alternatives (that’s what’s coming!).

Here’s what I’ve been working on and what I’m serving this year: individual mini vegan “meat” loaves. For the remainder of the post, I’m going to just refer to them as meatloaves because I know you know they’re meat-free.

Even though “loaf” is in the title these are very different from the traditional lentil loaf in several important ways. And teaser, you’re going to love them!

First, there’s no slicing. I hate slicing a loaf. Even the best loaves are a little squishy when you cut into them. No matter how long you wait they collapse a little and have some level of mush. This part — the slicing — always bothered me. It’s extra work, it’s tricky, and you’re always left hoping, until the very last minute, that it works out. Slicing; removed!

Second, these mini meatloaves have a deep and delicious flavor profile. They’re satisfying and robust all on their own and don’t need additional sauces. Most loaves are coated in a combo sauce of ketchup and balsamic or BBQ sauce. I like to pair these mini meatloaves with a gravy (more on that below) but no extra sauces are needed.

Third, these mini meatloaves don’t have any oats. Most loaves call for rolled oats, which is totally fine but there are a lot of people looking for oat-free options. These mini meatloaves do not suffer at all from having the oats removed, in fact, I’d argue that they’re much, much better for it!

Finally, these are PERFECT for making ahead of time. You can make these a few days, a week, or even a month before your big dinner. They reheat wonderfully and will help you simplify your dinner prep.

Mini Meatloaves

Makes 12 servings

Equipment needed: silicone muffin pan (12 muffin cups), food processor

This is my preferred alternative to the infamous lentil loaf or vegan “meat” loaf. I love a loaf and I’ve made many, but I don’t love the presentation. I don’t love the squishiness of the loaf when you slice it. I wanted something different, something with similar (and even better!) flavor but that was easier to plate and serve. Here it is! I love it and I hope you do too. Be sure to read the Tips For Success below carefully as they make a big difference in the end result. The most important tip to remember is to make the rice before, even a whole day before, so that it is completely cool.

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups (150 g) walnuts

½ cup (75 g) onion, diced

1 celery stalk, diced

8 ounces (227 g) button mushrooms, wiped clean and diced

3 tablespoons (45 ml) tomato paste

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon (3.5 g) dried rosemary

1½ teaspoons (1 g) dried thyme

¼ teaspoon dried sage

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Few grinds black pepper

½ packed cup/70 g grated carrot (grated on the large hole of a box grater)

1 tablespoon (6 g) whole psyllium husk

2 tablespoons (30 ml) low sodium tamari

2 tablespoons (30 ml) balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

1½ cups (255 g) cooked or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1 [15 oz/425 g] can)

1½ cups (297 g) cooked or canned lentils, drained and rinsed (1 [15 oz/425 g] can)

2 packed cups (300 g) cooked and cooled brown rice (room temperature or colder)

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HOW-TO

Place the walnuts in a food processor and process until crumbly. The texture should be like coarse sand. Transfer the walnuts to a large bowl and set aside. You’ll use the food processor again.

In a large sauté pan, sauté the onion and celery with a few tablespoons of water (30 ml) for 7 minutes until the onions soften. Add water as needed to prevent burning.

Next add the diced mushrooms, tomato paste, garlic, dried herbs (rosemary through allspice), and pepper and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until the mushrooms shrink and release their juices. Cook until all the liquid in the pan is burned off.

Take the pan off the heat and transfer the veggies to the bowl of walnuts. Mix in the grated carrot and set aside for 15 minutes to cool. It’s important to let the veggies cool to room temperature. You can pop the bowl in the fridge to speed up the process if you like.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350ºF and place the psyllium husk, tamari, balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons water in a bowl and whisk together. Set aside to thicken for 5 minutes. It won’t thicken as much as a traditional psyllium husk egg.

Now add the chickpeas, lentils, cooled rice, and thickened psyllium husk mixture to the food processor and pulse repeatedly until everything is broken up. The texture should be thick with no big chunks but not smooth like hummus. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of veggies, walnuts, and carrots. Mix everything together well.

Now divide the mixture between the silicone muffin molds. READ THE SILICONE PAN TIPS BELOW. You should use about ½ cup of the mixture per muffin cup. Press it in firmly. The muffin cups will be full. Place the pan in the oven for 1 hour. The meatloaves are done when they’re browned and dry to the touch.

Remove the pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. If you’re serving the mini meatloaves now, let them cool for about 15 minutes in the pan before popping them out and plating.

If you’re making them for a later date (this is my preferred way of preparing them), let the meatloaves cool completely in the pan. Once they’ve cooled, pull the edges of the silicone pan in different directions to release the meatloaves and then gently tip the pan over. They should pop out easily. Keep them in the fridge in a sealed container until needed.

When you’re ready to serve, warm the mini meatloaves in the oven. Preheat the oven to 300ºF (150ºC) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the mini meatloaves on the pan and into the oven for 25 to 30 minutes. They’re ready when they’re hot and crisp on the edges.

These mini meatloaves will keep in the freezer in a sealed container for up to 3 months. Let them thaw completely on the counter or in the fridge before reheating them in the oven.

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Printable Recipe

Mini Meatloaves

3.37MB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

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Tips for Success (MUST READ!)

Don’t worry, these aren’t hard to make but there are a few simple things that will guarantee success!

• Silicone Pan

  A silicone pan is essential for making these vegan mini meatloaves. A deep silicon muffin pan is even more essential. Here’s the one I use. If you have a silicone muffin pan with shallower wells, the mixture will come up and over the top if you use ½ cup per meatloaf. Try your best to shape the loaf into a dome shape. Or you can simply make smaller meatloaves and reduce the cooking time by 15 minutes. You’ll also have a bigger yield. If you only have a traditional muffin pan, you can use muffin liners but I’ve never made these in a traditional muffin pan so I cannot guarantee success.

• Make The Rice Before

  It’s imperative that you use rice that’s already cooked and cooled completely to room temperature. If the rice is warm, the mixture will be loose and you’ll end up with squishier meatloaves. I recommend making the rice the day before and keeping it in the fridge. Take the rice out of the fridge when you start the recipe. It’s OK if it’s still a little cool.

• Letting Everything Cool

  The recipe calls for sautéing some veggies, these also need to be set aside to cool before proceeding with the recipe.

• Dicing Veggies

  Dice the onion, celery, and mushrooms small (¼ inch dice) so there aren’t big chunks in the meatloaves. The veggies aren’t going in the food processor so will be the size you cut them.

• Walnuts

  If you keep your walnuts in the freezer, take these out of the freezer and let them come to room temperature before starting the recipe. Shockingly this makes a difference!

• Pulse

  When all the ingredients are in the processor, pulse repeatedly instead of processing continuously. This allows you more control over the texture. You want the texture to be thick and a little rough but not overly chunky and not smooth like hummus.

• Cooling After Cooking

  Once the meatloaves come out of the oven, let them cool in the pan. If you’re cooking them right before serving, let them hang out in the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving. If you’re making them ahead of time, it’s best to let them cool completely in the pan.

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PART 2

Let’s talk about the rest of the plate.

Here’s what’s on it;

• Mashed potatoes

• Sauerkraut

• Maple Dijon Carrots

• Blender Gravy

• Steamed greens (kale or Bok choy)

And dessert is this too good to be true Pumpkin Cheesecake.

It’s a gorgeous, filling dinner with balanced flavor. The sauerkraut offers a little sour (here’s my favorite brand), the maple Dijon carrots give a little sweetness, the greens are a little bitter, and the mashed potatoes are of course essential!

But it’s the blender gravy that’s going to blow your socks off! It’s the absolute perfect pairing for this nutritious, delicious dinner.

The best part? It takes a few minutes to make. No chopping, slicing, or mincing is required. We’re already doing so much in the kitchen to prepare for these big dinners, so I thought we could give ourselves a break with the gravy!

The Maple Dijon Carrots and Blender Gravy are covered in Part 2. I also share how I make my basic mashed potatoes.

…recipes from Part 2 HERE!