Easy Peasy More-or-less Meatless Meatloaf
Feeds: 4
Ingredients:
2 C stock (veggie or chicken)
1 C dry red lentils
1 onion (diced)
2 C finely chopped veggies of your choosing (i.e. mushrooms, celery, carrots)
1/2 C breadcrumbs
1 C cheese of your choosing
2 tbsp oil or butter
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 eggs
1 C quick cook oats
1 C any combo of BBQ sauce/tomato sauce/ketchup/salsa that you have on hand. (I like using 1/3 BBQ sauce + 1/3 ketchup + 1/3 spicy salsa)
1 tsp garlic powder
*1/2 tsp onion powder
*1 tsp dried basil
*1 tsp dried parsley
*1/2 tsp seasoning salt
salt and ground pepper to taste
*If you want to minimize work even more, use 1 tbsp Italian seasoning instead of onion/basil/parsley/seasoning salt combo.
Instructions:
1. Bring stock to boil in medium pot. Rinse lentils under running water in fine strainer to remove dust and add to water. Reduce heat so stock is on low simmer. Cook with pot covered until lentils are cooked (approx. 20-25min).
2. While lentils are cooking, finely chop any veggies you want to add. Chop onion.
3. Pre-heat oven to 350F
3. When lentils are cooked, drain and let cool in large bowl. It will look soft and flaky when cooked. Lentils should mush easily with spoon.
3. Fry onions in oil/butter on medium high until starting to brown. Add in any veggies and cook until tender.
4. Add 1/2 C tomato sauce (or combo of BBQ sauce/ketchup/tomato sauce) and all herbs and cook until fragrant (approx 1min).
5. Turn off heat and mix in lentils, eggs, breadcrumbs, oats and salt/pepper to taste. Mix well.
6. Spoon into greased loaf pan and bake for 30m covered with tinfoil. Spoon on additional sauce and bake uncovered for additional 10m.
7. Remove from oven and cool in tray for 10-15min. This is to allow the loaf to firm up.
8. Loosen edges of loaf and invert onto cutting board. Slice and plate. Pour on some of the extra sauce if you like your "meat"loaf more saucy. Or, serve with ketchup. Or fries. Or more veggies. Whatever you want to pair it with. You do you.
