Marvelous Mushroom Vegetarian "Meat" Loaf

My husband is amazed that there is no meat in this vegetarian version of "meat" loaf.

   I made this mushroom vegetarian "meat" loaf a while back and my husband loved it. I loved that he was eating a meatless dinner. My previous version was so delicious but contained a lot of mushrooms which are costly. The 2 pounds of mushrooms cost me $8.00 so I wanted to see if I could substitute lentils for half of the mushrooms to bring the cost of this "meat" loaf down. I am happy to say that the lentils worked and this loaf still tasted like the real thing. I think the secret to this meatless meatloaf tasting so good is the spices and the ketchup. The mushrooms and other ingredients give this loaf the texture of ground beef. So if you are looking for a vegetarian option for meatloaf, you need to make this. You can also make this delicious "meat" loaf vegan and plant-based by using an egg substitute like flax seeds or chia seeds.

Looks like real meat and has the taste and texture too!

Vegetarian  "Meat" Loaf
                Makes 6-8 servings         
                                         Ingredients
                               4 slices wheat bread, torn into small pieces
                               3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for greasing
                               1 yellow onion, finely chopped
                               1 pounds mushrooms, finely chopped
                               1 1/2 cups cooked lentils
                               1 cup ketchup
                               1 tablespoon minced sage
                               1 tablespoon minced thyme
                               1 tablespoon minced oregano
                               2 garlic cloves, minced
                               1 cup walnuts, coarsely ground in a food processor
                               ½ cup instant oats
                               ½ cup bread crumbs
                               2 tablespoons kosher salt
                               2 tablespoons lemon juice
                               ½ tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
                               2 eggs, lightly beaten or 2 Chia Eggs-see note

      Note- 1 tablespoons chia seeds + 3 tablespoons water = 1 egg 


       DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375º.
2. In a large fry pan heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until lightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cooked lentils and cook, stirring often, until any liquid released has evaporated and the mushrooms are lightly caramelized 10 to 12 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 cup of the ketchup with the sage, thyme, oregano and garlic, and cook, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot until the garlic and herbs are fragrant about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the bread, walnuts, oats and bread crumbs. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.
4. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the salt, lemon juice, pepper, lemon zest, and eggs until well incorporated. Press the mixture into a greased 9-by-5-inch loaf pan and smooth the top. Brush with the remaining ketchup.
5. Bake the "meat" loaf for 1 hour, then place on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes before slicing and serving