Not Really Meatloaf

So who doesn't like a good old fashion meatloaf? Even us vegetarians crave some of those comfort foods from our childhoods. For those of you that are reading my blog who are not vegetarians, you may be thinking, "Why would I want to make this recipe when I have a perfectly good meatloaf recipe of my own?" My answer to that - Fat. This recipe has a much lower fat content that your traditional meatloaf.

I have to say that I was a bit skeptical when my coworker Jim (and fellow vegetarian) gave me this recipe. But so far Jim hasn't steered me wrong, so I gave it a try. Once again, Jim had it right! Thanks Jim!

Now, this recipe calls for onion soup mix, and I really try not to use these types of prepackaged products in my cooking, as they are generally packed full of artificial colorings and such. So I tried to make this recipe without the seasoning packet - replacing it with onions, salt, pepper, garlic - but it just didn't turn with the same flavoring of the original recipe, and my family just didn't like it. So back to the original recipe it is. That doesn't mean I'm going to stop trying to modify the recipe to get rid of the onion soup mix - I will continue on my quest. But until then, I will share Jim's recipe with all of you!

So here you go. I'd love to hear what you think!

Not Really Meatloaf

Ingredients:

1 whole egg

5 egg whites

1 cup finely chopped (ground) walnuts

16 oz. cottage cheese

1 envelope dry onion soup mix

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 cups corn flakes (you could also use crackers, oatmeal, bread crumbs)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, then place the loaf mixture into a 8"x8" baking pan or bread baking pan lined with parchment paper. (the parchment paper really makes a difference when you are getting the meatloaf out)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Toothpick inserted in loaf should come out clean.

That's it. Just as simple as traditional meatloaf, but so much healthier.

I would serve this with a lovely mushroom gravy (also found on my blog - June 2010), a side of brown rice (or grain of your choice) , and some veggies of your choosing.

Enjoy!