Mini Meat Loaves, Green Beans, and Potatoes and Vegetarian Meatloaf

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Time for traditional comfort food. Something enduring that soothes your hunger and your spirit. National Meatloaf Appreciation Day is this October 18th. Created in 2018 by Serious Eats, it isn’t an official holiday, but it should be. There’s lots to love about a dish that’s easy to make, can be made with any kind of meat (or not), and is a great way to use up leftovers. Plus, it lends itself to all kinds of improvisation and is budget-friendly. 

Meatloaf’s history can be traced back to ancient Rome where in the 4th and 5th centuries AD, Romans made meatloaf with animal brains, offal, spices and pine nuts. In the 18th century, German-American settlers in Pennsylvania made scrapple, an amalgam of ground pork and cornmeal that was shaped into a loaf. The first recorded recipe for American meatloaf was in the late 1870s. The recipe called for finely chopping cold meat (likely beef), and adding pepper, salt, onion, milk-soaked bread and egg. 

During the Great Depression, meatloaf became popular because it helped home cooks stretch protein farther than it might otherwise go, so that more people could be fed with less meat. This allowed families to stretch the small portions of food they had into a meal that would feed all. In the 1950s, because of it’s simplicity and cost-effectiveness, meatloaf continued to be an affordable, yet hearty, option that could feed a family with ease. Today, there are variations all over the world, with many families using recipes that have been passed down through generations. 

This one-sheet Mini Meat Loaves, Green Beans, and Potatoes is an easy and comforting meal that’s speedy enough for a weeknight. With little-to-no prep time and even less clean-up, you’ll be digging into a delicious home-cooked meal in no time. Make your meatloaf with ground turkey for a lighter option and feel free to tweak the recipe if you have some ingredients you prefer. 

My favorite meatloaf recipe is from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book 1981 edition. The first time I made it, I was in a rush, and mistakenly stirred everything together rather than reserving the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard for the topping. I know it’s wrong, but I still make it this way. Swap in rolled oats in place of the breadcrumbs that are called for in this recipe for a fiber-filled nutritional boost that is also gluten-free, if you use oats that are gluten-free. Save time and don’t bother measuring with the olive oil. As long as you’re drizzling, and not pouring copiously, there’s no need to worry. 

Or try this Vegetarian Meatloaf. You can just toss the oats in whole if you don’t mind your meatloaf looking a little like a loaf of oat bread. Otherwise, put them in your blender and blitz them a bit – just enough to break them up, but not so much that you end up with flour. I used a small loaf pan that measured 3 1/2- by 6 1/2-inches, which turned out to be just right size-wise for the amount of meatloaf mixture. It took a full 50 minutes to bake, but do start keeping an eye on yours at about 35 minutes. Your loaf should be nicely browned and have a little firmness to it when you press on the top. 

It doesn’t matter how you do it, just do it. Make yourself a meatloaf this week and enjoy a bit of nostalgia.

Mini Meat Loaves, Green Beans, and Potatoes

• olive oil (or nonstick cooking spray)
• 12 ounce fingerling and/or new potatoes, halved or quartered
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil 
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk 
• 1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs (or rolled oats) 
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, or ketchup, for topping

Preheat oven to 400º F. Line a 15×10-inch baking pan with foil; coat foil with olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Place potatoes on one half of the prepared pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 20 minutes. 

While potatoes bake, in a medium bowl combine egg and milk; stir in breadcrumbs (or oats), onion, parsley, salt, ketchup, dry mustard, and brown sugar. Add beef or turkey and mix lightly until combined. Shape into four 3 1/2-x 2-inch meat loaves. 

Remove baking pan from oven and stir potatoes. Place green beans next to potatoes; drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place loaves in pan next to green beans. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes more, or until loaves are done (ground beef: 160º F; ground turkey: 165º F) and potatoes and beans are tender. 

Spoon ketchup or barbecue sauce over meat loaves. Serve with potatoes and beans.  

Vegetarian Meatloaf

• 1 15-ounce can Organic Lentil Vegetable Soup (Amy’s or Trader Joe’s)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 Tablespoon ketchup
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley

Preheat oven to 350º F. Generously spray a loaf pan with olive oil or non-stick cooking spray, or grease well. Pour lentil soup into a colander and let drain for several minutes to remove liquid. Transfer drained soup to a medium bowl and roughly mash, leaving some of the lentils whole for texture. Add onion, oats, egg, ketchup, dry mustard and parsley and stir until combined. 

Spoon mixture into loaf pan, smoothing top with back of spoon. Bake for 35-50 minutes until top of loaf is dry, firm and lightly browned. Cool in pan on rack for about 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around edges of pan, then turn loaf out onto serving platter.