Put on your top hat or tiara, because this meatloaf is fancy. It’s moist but firm and completely irresistible. Serving it with a fluffy, creamy, luxurious garlic cauliflower mash is not just fancy—it’s brilliant.
Serves: 4 to 6
1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ medium sweet onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
10 oz (300 g) cremini mushrooms, diced
Pinch plus 1 tsp salt, divided
Pinch plus ½ tsp black pepper, divided
3 cups (225 g) cooked brown lentils
1 cup (55 g) panko breadcrumbs
¼ cup (60 g) ketchup
1 tbsp (15 ml) liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 ml) molasses
½ cup (120 ml) Mustard Barbecue Sauce or store-bought vegan barbecue sauce, divided
1 large head cauliflower, cut into
1-inch (2.5-cm) florets
4 cloves garlic
⅓ cup (80 ml) nondairy milk
2 tbsp (30 g) vegan butter
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Red Wine–Shallot Gravy; optional)
To make the meatloaf, preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Spray a 9 x 5–inch (23 x 13–cm) loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and mushrooms. Season with the pinch of salt and the pinch of black pepper. Sauté, reducing the heat as needed to prevent burning, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent and the mushrooms are brown. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.
In a large bowl, mash the lentils with a fork. Make sure to smash them as much as you can while leaving a bit of texture.
Add the sautéed vegetables, breadcrumbs, ketchup, liquid aminos, molasses, the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and the remaining ½ teaspoon of black pepper to the lentils. Stir to combine, then fold the mixture together with your hands until you can form a ball.
Press the lentil mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) of the Mustard Barbecue Sauce on top of the loaf and spread it out evenly.
Bake the meatloaf for 30 minutes. Brush the top of the loaf with the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) of Mustard Barbecue Sauce. Bake for another 10 minutes, or until the loaf is very firm and brown.
While the meatloaf is baking, make the garlic cauliflower mash.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the cauliflower and garlic to the water. Boil for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Drain the pot and transfer the cauliflower and garlic to a blender.
Add the milk, butter, salt and black pepper to the blender. Pulse until the cauliflower is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
Serve the meatloaf and mash with the Red Wine–Shallot Gravy (if using) drizzled on top.