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.
Alison says
I’m eating this right now with a Japanese sweet potato. So delicious!!
Natalie says
I followed the recipe exactly and it basically did not hold together. If this happens again, how do you recommend I thicken it so that it can be sliced like loaf rather than spooned like slop? (It still had great flavor as slop )
Dreena says
Hi Natalie, not sure what happened here. It’s a soft-set loaf, but definitely shouldn’t be slop. Did you possibly omit something by accident? Was the rice cooled? If it was hot, this can make the loaf sticky and not form well.
Natalie says
Thank you for replying to me. The issue may have been the rice so I will try it cooled today!
Lenore says
i made this tonight and the flavors are delicious! I used the Vita Mix and doubled the recipe so I’d have one ready for Thanksgiving. I think the Vita Mix processed this loaf too thin because, after baking, it was still pasty. I will try it again using the food processor.
Sandra says
This loaf sounds delicious and I want to try it, but what can I substitute for the mustard?
Dreena says
Hi Sandra, you don’t taste the mustard flavor, it’s not pronounced – but if you need to omit it you can, won’t affect texture. 🙂
Colleen says
Looking forward to the trial run with the loaf this week! If it gets a thumbs up (and seriously, how could it not??) I’ll be making it for our Thanksgiving in a remote mountain cabin in NC. Can this loaf be made ahead and frozen? Bake first or freeze pre-baking? Thanks!
Dreena says
Hi Colleen, I haven’t tried freezing it. If you do, I wouldn’t bake first, just freeze formed, then thaw/bake. The texture may be different, because the vegetables aren’t precooked so that freezing/thawing will have them release moisture. Should be ok, but not exactly the same. Otherwise, you could make up to 2 days in advance and refrigerate. Or, bake about 2/3 of the way through, let cool, then refrigerate a couple of days, then reheat/finish baking when you arrive. Hope that helps!
D says
This fantastic loaf can be made ahead of time without baking first, defrosted overnight, and then baked accordingly. I did this yesterday and it turned out great! The color was so vibrant and the flavor so savory and the texture tender but not too soft. I made extra BBQ sauce on the side but it doesn’t need it. Highly recommended…might even make this for breakfast with some beans to go with it.
Dreena Burton says
Hi D, thank you for this lovely comment. I’m so happy you have enjoyed the recipe, thank you for sharing your feedback!