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This vegetarian meatloaf is hearty and pleases even the most passionate of meat eaters! It’s a family favorite dinner party recipe.
Every now and then you come across a recipe that is a cut above the rest – one that makes everything you’ve made before pale in comparison. We present: our Vegetarian Meatloaf recipe! This vegetarian meatloaf is made entirely of nuts, rice, mushrooms, onions, herbs, and cheese. Somehow, it all melds into an appearance and texture just like a meatloaf. And it tastes AMAZING. As in, better than the meat version. It’s perfect for dinner parties, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish or for Christmas dinner. Ready to get started?
How does this vegetarian meatloaf have the flavor & texture of meat?
This meatloaf is incredibly hearty, the perfect vegetarian recipe for meat lovers. My mom is a huge carnivore, and she absolutely adores this recipe! She even requests to make it every time that we come home for a visit. (Literally.) It’s kind of mind-boggling how tasty this vegetarian meatloaf turns out. You’d almost swear from the texture that it’s an actual meatloaf! Here are some of the secrets:
- Mushrooms: Once the meatloaf is cooked, you won’t know there are any mushrooms. But they are essential to the savory flavor and a chewy texture.
- Toasted nuts. Another secret is a mixture of cashews and walnuts that are toasted in the oven until golden and fragrant. Combined with the sautéed mushrooms, toasted nuts add a subtle meaty flavor to the dish and give this nut loaf some texture.
- Swiss cheese & cottage cheese: Swiss cheese brings a subtle meatiness and cottage cheese brings in the perfect texture complement.
How to make vegetarian meatloaf
This vegetarian meatloaf recipe requires a bit of time to make, but the end result is totally worth it! To make this veggie meatloaf, here are the basic steps (or go to the full recipe below):
- Cook the rice: Cook the brown rice. You can easily do this in advance, which cuts down on prep time.
- Toast the nuts: Toast walnuts and cashews in the oven, until golden brown.
- Saute the onion and mushrooms: Sauté mushrooms, onion, and garlic with herbs and spices.
- Mix: Combine the rice, nuts, and mushroom mixture with chopped parsley, cottage cheese, Swiss cheese, beaten eggs, salt, and pepper.
- Bake: Butter a loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter it again. Pour in the mixture and bake about 1 hour at 375 degrees, or until golden brown.
And that’s it! The veggie meatloaf will need to cool for about 20 minutes before being sliced, but it’s best enjoyed warm!
Storing vegetarian meatloaf
This vegetarian meatloaf stores very well as leftovers! Here’s what to do:
- Refrigerate. Leftovers can be stored for a 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze. This vegetarian meatloaf freezes perfectly! Slice it into pieces and place it in a sealable container in the freezer. Reheat the meatloaf in a 375F oven.
Meatloaf sides
If you’re entertaining and looking for dinner party recipes, this crowd-pleasing vegetarian meatloaf is a fantastic fit for a dinner party. Our family makes it often over the holidays, as a vegetarian Thanksgiving recipe or for Christmas dinner. It always pleases meat eaters: even my meat and potatoes grandparents! Here are a few side dishes to serve with meatloaf:
- Mashed Red Potatoes with Garlic (or Instant Pot version)
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes (or Instant Pot version)
- Best Brussels Sprouts (or Instant Pot version)
- Lemony Steamed Green Beans (or Instant Pot version)
- BEST Steamed Broccoli (or Instant Pot Broccoli)
- Perfectly Creamy Polenta (or Vegan Polenta)
- Roasted Smashed Potatoes
- Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Parmesan Potato Wedges
- Whole Grain Classic Stuffing
- Beet and Apple Salad
- Roasted Green Beans with Hazelnuts
This vegetarian meatloaf recipe is…
Vegetarian and gluten free.
Note: We’ve get to find a way to make this into a vegan meatloaf. The eggs and cheese are crucial for adding flavor to this dish and holding everything together. If there’s a vegan meatloaf recipe you particularly enjoy, let us know in the comments! We hope to create a vegan meatloaf in the future!
Best Vegetarian Meatloaf
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 to 10 1x
Description
This vegetarian meatloaf is hearty and pleases even the most passionate of meat eaters! It’s a family favorite dinner party recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups cooked brown rice
- 1 ½ cups walnuts
- ½ cup cashews
- 1 yellow onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 ounces shiitake mushrooms
- 3 ounces baby bella mushrooms (aka cremini)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 12 ounces Swiss cheese, grated
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the brown rice using Stovetop Brown Rice or Instant Pot Brown Rice. (You’ll need ½ cup dry rice to yield 1 ½ cups cooked; or you cook 1 cup dry rice and save the leftovers.)
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Place 1 ½ cup walnuts and ½ cup cashews on a baking sheet and toast for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Allow to cool.
- Meanwhile, finely chop 1 onion and mince 3 cloves garlic. Clean and finely chop the mushrooms. Finely chop the 2 tablespoons fresh parsley. When the nuts have cooled, finely chop them with a knife or in a food processor.
- In a large skillet, heat about 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon thyme, and 1 teaspoon sage. Cook about 5 minutes, until the mushrooms are golden. Transfer to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, lightly beat together 4 eggs.
- In the large bowl, combine the onion and mushroom mixture with the toasted walnuts and cashews, parsley, 1 ½ cups cooked rice, 1 cup cottage cheese, 12 ounces Swiss cheese, beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Butter a 9-inch loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter it again. Pour the mixture from the bowl into the pan.
- Bake 1 hour until golden brown. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert loaf and remove from pan. Slice into pieces and serve warm. Leftovers can be stored for a few day in the refrigerator or a few months in the freezer (cut into pieces). Reheat in a 375F oven.
Notes
Adapted from Martha Stewart
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Looking for comfort food recipes?
Aside from this vegetarian meatloaf, here are a few of our favorite comfort food recipes:
- Norwegian Vegetarian Meatballs
- Cozy Vegetarian Pot Pie
- Best Gouda Mac and Cheese
- Easy Calzone Recipe
- Skillet White Chili Cheese Dip
- Granola Instant Pot Apple Crisp
- Cacio e Pepe Pasta
- Veggie Packed Quinoa Fried Rice
- Italian Calzones
- Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie
- Best Vegan Pizza
- Homemade Ricotta Gnocchi
- 21 Lightened Up Comfort Food Recipes
- 10 Romantic Dinner Recipes
Last updated September 2019
Hi, can low GI white rice be used in place of the brown rice? Thanks
Yes
I have to try this recipe, but I am really interested in making this; however, I do not like shiitake mushrooms. I love cremini but not shiitake. I am wondering if I only used king oyster mushrooms would work instead of combining it with the cremini mushrooms as I understand their texture truly mimics meat? Love to know your thoughts or recommendations and then when I make it, I will post my comment.
Any combo should work!
I had to write and tell you how fantastic this mushroom loaf was! So flavorful and easy to make! Even my son, who loves his meat, loved it! I will definitely be using this recipe again. Thank you so much!
Thank you!