It’s fully fall. Time for soups, stews, hearty casseroles, and even… planning for the holidays!
I know, that sounds early, but we have Canadian Thanksgiving in October, and soon after we are in the swing of holiday season. We need recipes we can rely on for the holidays – and recipes that are relatively easy!
This year I made my Autumn Dinner Loaf for our Thanksgiving dinner, and paired it with kale salad, mashed potatoes, and vegan gravy.
I recorded a video making this recipe, so you can watch it and see just how easy it is!
So today I’m sharing a vegan meatloaf recipe that I know you’ll enjoy. Many of you already know and love the No-Fu Loaf from LTEV.
This Autumn Dinner Loaf from Plant-Powered Families is also sensational. Quite different from the no-fu loaf, as it’s made with a base of grains, almonds, and vegetables rather than the lentil base of No-fu.
This vegan meatloaf is also especially easy to make! So, if you’re feeling overwhelmed with holiday cooking but still want a special main, this is your recipe. Seriously. Everything into the food processor, then into the oven. Done!
And, if you’re feeling a little more adventurous with holiday cooking and want to build a full menu around this vegan meatloaf, hop over to this post for inspiration.
Please let me know how you enjoy the recipe! x Dreena
Autumn Dinner Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 cups carrot sliced
- 2/3 cup whole raw almonds
- 1/2 cup sliced green onion
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary or 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground dried sage
- 1 medium-large clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 lightly packed cups cooked and cooled brown rice
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp rolled oats
Topping Options (see note)
BBQ Topping:
- 21/2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
- 1 – 2 tablespoons rolled oats
Dry Topping:
- 2 tablespoons almond meal
- 1 tablespoon rolled oats
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly wipe a glass loaf pan with a smidgen of oil. Line the bottom of the pan with a strip of parchment paper (place it in so it hangs over the short ends of the pan; this helps for easier removal of the veggie loaf from the pan). In a food processor, add the carrots, almonds, green onions, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, sea salt, rosemary, sage, garlic, and lemon juice. Process until the mixture smooths out and starts to become sticky, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the rice and puree. At this point the mixture should be sticky enough to hold slightly when pressed. Add the oats and process through. Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and evenly distribute. If using the BBQ topping, spread the sauce over the top of the loaf, and then sprinkle on the oats. If using the dry topping, combine the almond meal, oats, and salt in a small bowl, and then sprinkle over the loaf. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 33–35 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5–7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes, then slice and serve.
photos by Nicole Axworthy
This post was originally published in September 2017 and updated with a video tutorial for 2020.
Jennifer says
It says to process add oats and process through. Does that mean just to combine or should it be processed more?
Dreena says
Hi Jennifer, it’s to process through to combine but the mixture should hold together when pressed with your fingers.
Karen says
I am trying to find a use for almond pulp leftover from making almond milk. Do you think that pulp could take the place of the almonds in the loaf?
Dreena says
Hi Karen, yes, you can, but you’ll need to determine the conversion since if you take 1 cup of almonds and grind into a meal, it will then measure less. So, that conversion will need to be accounted for in the recipe.
AL says
Hello,
Oats are NOT gluten free unless they specifically say they are certified gluten free. If anyone is sickened or killed it’s my fault. I’m evil. I’m sorry. I didn’t read the rest of the recipe. There may be other gluten or other dangers! PLEASE PLEASE KEEP SAFE. I AM BAD. I FAIL TO STOP HARMING PEOPLE.
Dreena says
Oats can be considered gluten-free, and those with oat sensitivity may or may not be able to eat certified gluten-free oats, depends on the person – sometimes it’s the avenin in the oats, not the gluten. It’s individual, so each person must know what they are able/unable to eat.
Lisa Jachimiec says
Dreena knows I cannot eat oats at all, certified gf or not. I have been successful in the nofu love loaf using quinoa flakes in place of the oatmeal. I have no idea how it alters the taste as it’s the only way I’ve tried the nofu loaf. I haven’t made this one yet but I’m guessing it’s a comparable swap based on the other ingredients above. I haven’t found quinoa flakes local to the midwest but I have ordered them off amazon. Quick and easy and a pretty good swap in recipes thus far. Anything Dreena makes seems to be fabulous so I would expect nothing less from this.
jess says
Do you know if it freezes well?
PMcCaa says
OMG! Just tried this and it was de-lish! It was a nice ‘chew’ and really felt like I had eaten something. We are just dabbling in Vegetarian food. Dreena, your recipes are always spot on, just perfect combos that turn our wonderfully!
Thanks