Recipe: The Krocks’ Best Plant-Based Meatloaf Ever! (Oil-Free, Vegan)

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It’s time for more recipes! If you remember, way back in March 2022, we filmed a TON of recipes. Unfortunately, just a few short months later, our lives kind of blew up when we found out I had stage 3 ovarian cancer. We are FINALLY getting back to sharing more of the recipes… and this one is just too good to keep a secret any longer!

Before Brian and I switched to eating a whole food, plant-based diet, we loved to make a turkey meatloaf recipe from Bobby Flay. After we made the switch, we found ourselves missing this comfort food classic and set out to make our very own plant-based version. And I have to say, it turned out WAY better than either of us expected!

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This 100% meat-free “meatloaf” is packed with a ton of veggies including mushrooms, bell peppers and zucchini. Not only do these veggies add pops of color, but they taste great! A little bit of crushed red pepper and garlic help round out the flavors of our veggie mixture.

The “meatiness” of this recipe comes from a mixture of black beans, old fashioned rolled oats, and black rice. You can swap in other kinds of rice, but honestly, the black rice really helps with the texture.

Ketchup and balsamic vinegar add a punch of flavor throughout the meatloaf AND also combine to create a super tasty glaze for the top. You can make your own ketchup using our recipe we made a few years back, or find a sugar free version you are comfortable with. The recipe also uses thyme, tamari and fresh parsley.

One of the most difficult things to replicate in a plant-based meatloaf is the binding you can get from an egg. Brian took inspiration from his breakfast casserole and used a blend of pumpkin seeds, water and white miso paste.

Another key ingredient is the bread crumbs. We prefer to make our own by toasting up some Ezekiel bread, letting it cool completely, and then throwing it straight into our Vitamix. You can make these in advance and keep them in a mason jar for whenever you need bread crumbs!

I like to dice the veggies using my chopper to make everything uniform. We cook them in large stainless steel pan before letting them cool and adding to the meatloaf mixture.

A food processor helps you get the beans, oats and black rice to the right consistency.

After you get everything mixed together, of course you’ll need a loaf pan to cook it in! My favorite is this Chicago Metallic Non-Stick 2-Piece Healthy Meatloaf Set, which has a handy tray that helps you lift it out. I also love this Trudeau Structured Silicone Loaf Pan, which gives you all of the benefits of a non-stick silicone pan with extra structure added so it doesn’t collapse.

We like to serve it with a side of Brian’s mashed potatoes and tasty glazed green beans. Yum!

Be sure to watch the video to see us make the recipe and get even more tips!

The Krocks' Best Plant-Based Meatloaf Ever

Difficulty: Medium
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RECIPE BY KROCKS IN THE KITCHEN

Ingredients

Meatloaf Mixture:

– 4oz mushrooms, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
– 1 red bell pepper, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
– 1 yellow bell pepper, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
– 1 zucchini, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
– 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
– 1 Tbsp garlic, minced
– 2 x 15oz cans black beans, drained & rinsed (no salt added if possible)
– 1 cup old-fashioned oats
– 1 cup cooked black rice*
– 1/2 cup ketchup (make your own with our homemade recipe – just leave out the spice!)
– 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
– 1 Tbsp low sodium Tamari
– 1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
– 1 tsp thyme
– 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs*

“Egg” Mixture:

– 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds
– 2 Tbsp water
– 1 Tbsp white miso paste

Balsamic Glaze Topping:

– 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
– 1/4 cup ketchup
– 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add diced mushrooms and sauté, stirring frequently, until most of the liquid is cooked out.
Add diced bell peppers, zucchini and red pepper flakes to mushrooms and sauté until just softened. Add minced garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant. Set veggies aside and let cool.
While veggies are cooling, pulse black beans about 10 times in a food processor. Transfer beans to a large mixing bowl.
Add oats & cooked black rice to food processor and pulse about 10 times. Transfer to mixing bowl with beans.
Add cooled veggies, 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, Tamari, chopped parsley and thyme. Gently stir.
Make “egg” mixture by adding pumpkin seeds, water and white miso paste to a small blender cup (Magic Bullet or similar) and blending for 30-60 seconds until fully combined.
Add “egg” mixture to the meatloaf mixture and gently stir to combine.
Add bread crumbs and gently stir to combine.
Make topping by adding 3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes to a small bowl and using a small whisk or fork to combine until you have a smooth sauce.
Transfer meatloaf mixture to a loaf pan, lining with parchment paper if desired. Pour on topping.
Bake for one hour.
Let cool for at least 15 minutes before enjoying! It will slice best once completely cooled.

*NOTES:

– You will need COOKED rice for the Meatloaf Mixture. We cook 2 cups of black rice at a time in our Instant Pot with 2 1/4 cups of water at high pressure for 25 minutes and use the rest in other meals throughout the week. You can also swap in cooked brown rice.
– We make our own bread crumbs by toasting 2 slices of Ezekiel bread, letting them cool completely & then pulsing in our Vitamix until they turn into fine crumbs.

If you try out this recipe, be sure to leave us a comment on the video and share your photos with us on Instagram and Facebook!

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Chicago Metallic Non-Stick 2-Piece Healthy Meatloaf Set