This Mushroom-Walnut Meatless Loaf w/ Ketchup Glaze is hearty, healthy & full of flavor. It will keep the vegans & non-vegans at the table together.
After going vegan, I really missed meatloaf, but when I really thought about it, it wasn’t the meat that was comforting my taste buds & senses back then...it was the texture, taste, and aroma I craved. Meat by itself just smells & tastes gross…especially, when it’s raw. So a Meatless Loaf was in my future.
I made this Meatless Loaf with mushrooms to capture that “meaty” texture, and I used most of the same veggies, herbs & spices of a classic meatloaf recipe. You won't be missing a thing!
Mushrooms will do the trick every time, and I use them often to replace the meat-like texture. These Lentil Mushroom Tacos and my Portobello Vegan Fajitas are very popular with my non-vegan friends, and they look forward to eating dinner at our house.
How do I make a Vegan Meatloaf?
As I was saying, the mushrooms really do the trick for the meaty texture, but to pull it all together, I also added some cooked rice, rolled oats & mashed potatoes. Together, these ingredients add a nice bitey texture and will make the loaf tender and moist.
It's almost the same as making a meat-based loaf, with some additional steps. I promise it'll be worth it though. Here's what you'll need to do:
STEP 1
Cook your rice and potatoes. This helps with texture and the potatoes keep it all together. I make them the night before to make things easier.
STEP 2
Prepare your flax egg and set aside
STEP 3
Sauté the onions, celery, mushrooms and spices.
STEP 4
Add the sautéed veggies, flax egg and to a large bowl with the rice, potatoes, oats, tomato paste, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Combine well.
STEP 5
Transfer to a lined loaf pan and press down firmly so it molds into pan. Top with ketchup glaze and bake to perfection.
How do you make ketchup glaze for meatloaf?
It's really easy! You'll just need mustard, brown sugar, vinegar, salt, and of course, ketchup. Combined, these ingredients create a subtly-sweet, savory & tangy flavor.
Just mix them all together and set aside while you prepare the rest. When everything is done, just brush it on to the top of the loaf. During the baking process, it'll get bubbly, gooey, and caramelized. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
Can I freeze it?
Yes! You can bake it all the way through and freeze or just freeze after you fill the loaf pan. I haven't tried freezing it with the ketchup glaze. It's so easy to make fresh, so I just do it the day of.
The loaf will take at least 30-40 minutes longer to heat throughout. I usually add the ketchup glaze at the halfway mark to avoid it getting too crispy.
What can I serve with it?
- Vegan Mashed Potatoes
- Vegan Coleslaw
- Salad
- Vegan Cauliflower Casserole
- Sautéed Green Beans
I'd love to hear from you
If you make this recipe, let me know what you think by ★ star rating it and leaving a comment below. It would really make my day. You can also follow me on Instagram and share your creation with me. Just tag me @veganhuggs and hashtag #veganhuggs so I don’t miss it.
Mushroom-Walnut Meatless Loaf with Ketchup Glaze
Ingredients
Ketchup Glaze:
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons mustard
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Meatless Loaf
- 2 ½ tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons water (for flax egg)
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or preferred cooking oil)
- 1 medium red onion , diced
- 3 stalks celery , diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic , minced
- 12 oz cremini mushrooms , finely chopped or minced (about 4 cups)
- 2 cups cooked rice
- 1 cup cooked potatoes , mashed
- ¾ cup rolled oats (gluten-free if preferred)
- ⅓ cup breadcrumbs (gluten-free if preferred)
- ¾ cup walnuts , pulsed in food processor into a loose meal (or finely chopped)
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon ground sage
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons vegan worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt , more to taste
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
Instructions
Ketchup Glaze:
- To make the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Mix well & set aside.
Meatless Loaf:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Mix the water and flaxseed meal together in a small bowl, set aside for at least 10 minutes (this makes 2 flax eggs). It will gel up.
- Prepare a loaf pan by lining with parchment paper. Lining the pan makes it so much easier to remove after cooking. Here is a quick video on how to line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Sprinkle with salt. Sauté onion & celery over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until onions are slightly browned and celery is softened.
- Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley, and sage. Sauté for 1 minute.
- Turn heat up to medium-high and then add the mushrooms. Cook until they have released all their liquid and the pan and mushrooms are mostly dry. About 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer the cooked mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Add the mashed potatoes, breadcrumbs, flax eggs, rice, rolled oats, walnuts, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper. Combine all ingredients really well, using hands if necessary. Give a quick taste to see if it needs any more seasoning, add as needed.
- Place mixture into your lined loaf pan. Press down firmly so it molds into pan. Brush top of loaf with the ketchup glaze.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, until heated through. If you would like to crisp the glaze a bit, turn the broiler on for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn.
- Let the loaf cool for about 10 minutes before trying to remove from pan. Use the paper to pull it up and onto your serving dish. Let sit for another 5-10 minutes before serving. This helps firm it up more.
Useful Tools To make This Recipe
Notes
Nutrition
Deborah Mickow
I also put my own twist on this. I added more mushrooms and some LightLife vegan ground. I also added ground flax seeds, and hemp hearts & lots of herbs and spices. I added half of the mixture to the loaf pan, add sliced Miyoko's pepper jack cheese and covered the top with the remaining mixture. It was "Delicio'" thanks for the great recipe.
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Deborah! Those sound like delicious additions! Thanks so much for giving it a try 🙂
Kori Ventura
I made this tonight and it was amazing!! I didn't have enough mushrooms and had to use up an impossible burger patty so I incorporated that. I used fresh rosemary, avocado oil, added yeast flakes with a little bit of bread crumbs. Baking the potatoes ahead of time and just mashed them in a bowl with a bit of oatmilk. I bought a package of cooked rice to short cut as well. Our place smelled amazing and the loaf was a hit with the hubs too! Thanks!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Kori! That sounds amazing! We're so happy to hear that you loved the recipe - thank you for trying it out!
Scott C Ausburn
Great taste and texture ; )
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Scott! We're so glad that you liked it, thank you for stopping by! 🙂
NK
Whole family enjoyed...even the mushroom-hater!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi! What a compliment - we are so happy you all loved the recipe! Thanks for trying it out 🙂
Kay
Can I use dried shiitaki mushrooms?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Kay, I haven't tried it, but I believe it should work. I'd love to hear how it turns out if you make it. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Jenn
This looks so delicious but very starchy carb heavy, Do you think I could bump up the amount of mushrooms and reduce the amount of rice and still keep the loafs integrity? Maybe add an extra flax egg? So looking forward to trying this!
Ana Gutierrez Wittmann
Best meatless "meatloaf I ve prepared. ! moist, tasty and nutritous🤩
Melissa Huggins
This is the nicest compliment! Thank you for giving it a try. 🙂
Karin Feltman
i have a question- can this be made into "burger" patties instead of a loaf? just looking for a good burger recipe and i love mushrooms. seems like this might work?
Melissa Huggins
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried it. The patties may be a little soft, but it may work. I do have a great burger recipe that’s made with mushrooms and they have a meaty texture. They hold nicely too. Here’s the link if you want to take a look. https://veganhuggs.com/bean-mushroom-burger/ Thanks for stopping by 😀
therese marcel
This is soooooo good! I omitted the oil because I am wfpb. This is by far the best loaf I ever had! Thanks for sharing it
Melissa Huggins
Such a nice compliment! Thank you so much! 🙂
Allie
How do you make flax eggs,?
Melissa Huggins
You mix together 2 1/2 tablespoons of flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water. Then set aside for least 10 minutes. It will thicken and gel up slightly.
Jacque
Would like to make this for Christmas. Can I prepare the loaf a day ahead and bake on Christmas day?
Melissa Huggins
Absolutely! After you fill the loaf pan, let it cool and refrigerate. It will take a little longer to cook out of the fridge, but not too much. To heat, cover it with foil for the first 15-20 minutes to prevent burning. Then uncover and cook until heated throughout and the glaze is caramelized. I hope this helps. Have a Merry Christmas! 🙂
Marie
Very delicious!! My hubby and I both loved it! Time consuming, it would be very beneficial to have rice and potato cooked ahead of time, and everything else chopped. But, well worth it. Thank you! I look forward to making again.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Marie, I'm glad you both loved it! Yeah, it's a lot easier to have those ingredients prepared in the fridge. Thank you for giving it a try 🙂