Meatloaf.

Just hearing that word probably conjures up some memories for you.

You may be in the camp that absolutely loves the stuff — meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food! Or it’s the recipe mom made weekly that you swore never to make when you were on your own. Or you don’t eat meat and why would you ever want meatloaf in your life?

It’s a loaded word, Meatloaf. But whatever your meatloaf proclivities, I’m here to argue that you should give this gluten free vegetarian meatloaf recipe a try.

Meatloaf itself has taken many forms: from its humble medieval beginnings made from meat scraps to its evolution into a staple of the Depression era to its role in the wartime effort (dubbed “the Vitality Loaf”) to its unenthusiastic presence on literally every diner menu, meatloaf is something every family is familiar with in some way.

Historical accounts show meatloaf ingredients ranging from fruits (including bananas!), milk-soaked bread, spices, crushed crackers, vegetable soup and even cereal. But always there was meat … until now.

Consider this Gluten Free Vegetarian Meatloaf recipe merely the newest face of the old stand-by meatloaf. It’s a modernized version, if you will.

Whether you’re a meat eater or not, you will appreciate that this gluten free vegetarian meatloaf is super quick to whip up, is full of flavors you can tailor to your own tastes, and is truly hearty. Because it’s made gluten free and vegetarian or vegan, you can serve it to nearly anyone, and have a great conversation starter. “Meatloaf? Wow. Never thought I’d see that coming out of YOUR oven. But Wow. This is really good!”

I hope by this point in the meatloaf story you’re at least intrigued enough to give this recipe a try. You can even call it something else, if that’s more palatable for you. But do try it.

This is no bean loaf, or lentil loaf or whatever other kind of no-meat meatloaf you may have seen before (and your kids turned up their noses at). It’s made from veggie burgers. You can use your favorite brand (or make your own gluten free veggie burgers – it’s super easy!) if you already have one, but they all have different consistencies and ingredients and moisture contents, so the recipe may need to be adjusted so that the mixture will hold together without getting soggy.

I partnered with Hilary’s Eat Well Veggie Burgers and Veggie Bites* to bring you this recipe because I love their many flavors and I find that the texture of these veggie burgers is perfect for this recipe. Hilary’s burger flavors (World’s Best; Adzuki Bean; Hemp & Greens; Root Veggie; Black Rice; and Spicy Thai) allow you to mix up your vegetarian meatloaf flavors depending on your preference or each time you make it! Feel free to use another brand of gluten free veggie burger — this recipe is flexible!

I love Hilary’s because it doesn’t remind me of meat and they’re not mushy, so the texture is great for dish like this. Hilary’s burgers are made from whole gluten free grains like millet and quinoa, as well as veggies like sweet potatoes and leafy greens, plus plenty of herbs to make them yummy on their own or to add deliciousness to a recipe like this.

It means that unlike traditional meatloaf recipes, there’s really no need to add much in the way of spices, herbs or other add-ins like onions or veggies — they’re already inside. Even easier!

Simply thaw two boxes of your preferred veggie burger, then mash them.

Add the remaining ingredients and smoosh into a parchment-lined pan (for easy clean up).

Slather some ketchup on top and bake for 45 minutes.

It’s a dinner anyone could whip up in minutes, even if you don’t have fresh herbs or onion or anything else. Everyone’s got ketchup, right?

Oh and speaking of other ingredients, gluten free breadcrumbs may be something you don’t regularly have on-hand. No worries! I keep homemade gluten free bread in the freezer at all times for sandwich or burger emergencies, and for making stuffing or breadcrumbs. It’s so easy!

Here I just grabbed some of my homemade gluten free buns from the freezer, plopped them in my food processor, gave it a whirl and voila! Bread crumbs!

Of course you can feel free to add herbs or spices to liven up the bread crumbs, or you could even use different kinds of gluten free bread — how fun would gluten free pumpernickel be in this vegetarian meatloaf??

So hopefully you get the idea: this Gluten Free Vegetarian Meatloaf is your new favorite quick and easy-peasy dinner that you can tailor to your own tastes and what you have or don’t have in your fridge that day. My kinda meal!

 

Gluten Free Vegetarian Meatloaf Recipe

I hope you love using this recipe as a base for your next comfort food meal.

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* This sponsored post was created in partnership with Hilary’s Eat Well. As always, all opinions are my own. See my disclosure policy for more information. Working with select brands I love allows me to keep bringing you free recipes, and I hope that in the process, you’ll learn about some of the safe gluten free products I choose for my family. Thanks so much for your support!