veggie meatloaf

When I was in college (and I admit, a few years thereafter), I went through a phase in which I requested meatloaf anytime I went home to visit.  Considering that I don't recall my mom ever making meatloaf when I was a child, I have no idea where this fascination with meatloaf came from.  I made meatloaf once, but I was so horrified by the amount of ground beef required and all the grease that I never did it again.  I missed it from time to time, but it was so unhealthy that I couldn't justify eating it.  And I eventually stopped asking my mom to make it.  

It never crossed my mind to make a vegetarian meatloaf, but it was one of the first recipes Drew introduced me to.  This is obviously a meatloaf for vegetarians, but it is also a meatloaf for people who don't think they like meatloaf.  We have converted many non-meatloaf fans into fans.  The original recipe is from All Recipes, a recipe website that I normally would never visit (I'm a bit of a snob- I just don't trust sites in which anyone can post a recipe), but fortunately, Drew's parents already did the vetting.  I did some sleuthing, and I can't seem to find the original recipe, so I have to do the thing that I said I wouldn't do: post the recipe.  But seriously, it would be sacrilege not to share the recipe.    

You will need:

1/2 c butter (1 stick)

6 slices of bread, diced

1 onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 c shredded cheddar cheese

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 package veggie crumbles (we use Gardein or Morning Star)

1 tsp sage

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp thyme

1/2 c brown sugar

1/4 c ketchup

1/4 barbeque sauce

1/2 c water 

Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Saute the onion and green pepper for about 10 minutes, and then add the garlic and saute another minute.  Add the cubed bread, stir it around, let it sit for a few minutes, and then remove from the heat.

In a big mixing bowl, combine the cheese, veggie crumbles, sage, garlic powder, and thyme.  Add the bread cube-onion-green pepper mixture, and then add the eggs.  Mix it all together and then pour the mixture into a greased 9 x 9 glass baking dish.  Pack it down as best as you can. 

Stir together the brown sugar, ketchup, barbeque sauce, and water, and pour over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let it set up for about 10 minutes before digging in.         

Enjoy!