Yes, lentil loaf. It has been done before, but not all vegan meatloaves are created equal. These mini vegan meatloaves are so dang good! So dang easy and everyone gets their own mini meatloaf. This mini vegan meatloaf dinner makes it so simple to make and serve a complete meal. Bake 4 mini meatloaves with potatoes and green beans all at the same time. You just need to mix the meatloaf mixture, form the loaves, place on the sheet pan. Toss the veggies in, oil, salt and pepper. Place on the same pan and bake!
One of my favorite parts of this meal is the ketchup and balsamic mixture that is brushed on top of the meatloaves. It is sweet and tangy and makes the meatloaf totally delightful! The combination of lentils, mushrooms, garlic, onions and carrots with spices is incredible. Filling and protein heavy! The mixture comes together super quick and then you just bake for about 30 minutes and dinner is served!
I often just buy pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s. They have them in the produce section in a bag. If I just happen to have a bag of dried lentils, I cook them either the day before I want to make this meal. Or in the morning if I plan to make this mini vegan meatloaf sheet pan dinner that night.
I absolutely love a sheet pan dinner, and this is one of my favorites. Honestly, anytime I can throw everything into one pot or put everything on one pan, I’m a happy camper! You can make this meal using different veggies if you want, but the green beans and baby potatoes work out perfectly timing wise! Any kind of firmer vegetable should work though! I am certain this will make it’s way into your regular meal rotation. It is perfect to serve 4, but if it is just 1 or 2 of you, it is the BEST meal prep. I like to save a few of the mini meatloaves and veggies and save them for lunches.
Mini Vegan Meatloaf Sheet Pan Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil, divided
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped fine
- 1/2 a Sweet onion, diced
- 1 Large Carrot, diced
- 8 Ounces Baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 3 Cups Cooked Lentils, already cooked, not dry
- 1 1/2 Cups Panko bread crumbs, vegan
- 3/4 Cup Ketchup, divided
- 1 Tablespoon Soy sauce or Tamari
- 1 Tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- 1 1/2 Pounds Baby potatoes, fingerling or any small variety
- 1 Pound Green Beans, trimmed
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees(F).
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium high in a large non-stick skillet.
- Add the garlic, onion, carrots and mushrooms to the skillet. Saute, reducing heat as needed, for about 5-7 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and the carrots have softened. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the heat off.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked lentils and mash them. Either with a fork or potato masher. Mash the lentils well, but leave a little texture.
- Then add the sauteed veggies, the panko, 1/4 cup of ketchup(saving the rest for the topping), soy sauce, maple syrup, salt and pepper. Stir together to start incorporating. Then I like to just use my hands to mash and mix everything. It is mixed properly if the mixture holds together well.
- Spray a large sheet pan with non-stick spray. Then divided the lentil mixture into 4, and form them into mini loaves with your hands. Placing them on one side of the sheet pan.
- Next mix together the remaining 1/2 cup of ketchup and the balsamic vinegar. Then using about half of the mixture, brush it on the tops of the mini meatloaves. Save the rest for later.
- Now, cut any potatoes that are larger than an inch. You can cut them in half or quarters if need be. Put them in a large mixing bowl with the green beans and drizzle with the remaining olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Put the potatoes and green beans on the other side of the sheet pan.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pan from the oven. Toss the veggies and then brush the meatloaves with more of the ketchup mixture.
- Then bake for 15-25 more minutes or until the potatoes are soft and the meatloaves are firm. Brush with any remaining ketchup mixture. Serve immediately.
This looks delish, so I’ve pinned it! Do you think the meatloaf would work with garbanzo or cannellini beans? I have those on hand but will get some lentils if need be.
This was really good! Followed the recipe exactly. Next time I’ll double the carrots, onions and mushrooms because I love them!
I just found you but am more excited than ever to try some of your recipes. Beautiful website!
Welcome! I’m glad you found me! I hope you enjoy any recipes you make!
Huge fan of your recipes
Made this for dinner tonight and the whole family really enjoyed it! It was also very easy to throw together and I definitely see myself making it again. I did find that the loaves kinda lost a bit of their shape and spread out while in the oven but it doesn’t affect the flavor so not a big deal. Great recipe, thank you!
Simply wow. The mini loaf tastes amazing. I will be making this often, thank you so much for the recipe!
Hey there! Can I use anything else instead of bread crumbs? E.g. corn flour, wheat flour, oats…?
Thanks!
I think oats would work well! I would try to grind them up a bit using a food processor if you have one. Pulse them once or twice, just so they aren’t whole oats, but have some texture. That is usually what I use when making a gluten-free version of meatloaves and burgers.
Delicious! I have tried more vegan recipes for “meatloaf” that I’d like to admit. Each time I move on and make sure not to make that one again. Not one has hit the mark but this one blows it out of the park – it’s a keeper! Perfect blend of ingredients and texture. I made one large loaf instead so I can portion the sizes. I didn’t have panko breadcrumbs but substituted Italian breadcrumbs instead. Can’t wait to make cold “meatloaf” sandwiches with some of the leftovers. Thank you for a great recipe.
Can you store the leftover loafs in the freezer?
Yes, they should freeze and reheat well.
I’m super excited to try this recipe. Any suggestions for a mushroom substitute? I’m allergic. Thanks!
You could leave out mushrooms and add more lentils!
I didn’t have any mushrooms so I used celery instead. Still tasted amazing!
I am planning to make it… I searched this same thing out and found that things like zucchini, chickpeas, eggplant, and, surprisingly, sun-dried tomatoes were good substitutes. I am planning to make this soon and will be subbing some chickpea and some sun-dried tomato. We’ll see how it goes!
This was easy and delicious! The cold leftover meatloaf was amazing for sandwiches the next day… ❤️
This was very good!! I followed the recipe completely except for doubling the amount of potatoes & green beans to roast. I will definitely be making this again soon!
Wonder how they would be if made in the morning and baked off at dinner time?
Sorry if I missed it in the recipe, but what type of lentils do you use. Red or green variety?
Or does it not matter because they’re already cooked for your recipe?
Thanks!
Lauren used brown lentils but feel free to use whatever you like.
Can I use canned lentils?
Yes you may!
I was told “this isn’t just good, this is excellent.” I followed the recipe exactly except I had sweet potatoes instead of fingerling, but all was well with timing. A great comfort dish!
Thank you!
This was delicious! It was a quick meal that was packed with yummy veggies and the ketchup and balsamic glaze that went on top of the mini “meat” loaves was just the perfect finishing touch! Thank you for another winning recipe!
Dinner tonight! It was fantastic! Lovin what you keep turning out! Thank you!
This was so easy and delicious! The 4 loaves seemed pretty hefty so I made 8 and it was perfect. This recipe will be on the winter rotation. Thank you!
Yay! Thanks for your feedback!
Loved this recipe! The lentil loaves had so much flavor, and I wanted to eat the glaze by the spoonful.
Love the flavours! I did increase the recipe to 6 servings and I found the Center of the loafs a bit mushy. Did I just over mix the lentils? I was short on panko so I subbed for some oat flour and vital wheat gluten. Looking for some suggestion for next time. Thanks!
I made this a few days ago for me and my parents and all of us couldn’t get enough! The meatloafs are so flavorful and the texture is awesome. The only thing I added to this recipe is a vegan gravy, which was the cherry on top. We even decided to make these meatloafs for Christmas dinner, but with traditionally German sides of “Rotkohl und Klöße” ( I can’t really think of a translation for these). I am certain that my whole family will love the meatloafs. And a big bonus is that the recipe is actually really healthy and filling! I fried the leftover meatloaf (cut into slices) in a bit of butter-flavored oil the next day which made for a great lunch.
yay! Thank you for the feedback!
Hi! This looks delish! I will make it in a few days. I have a substitution question though: If I were to use oatmeal instead of bread crumbs, would I use the same quantity? Thanks in advance for you response.
I made this last night—it is a great weekday meal! I was looking for a veg loaf recipe that wasn’t soggy and 1,000 ingredients, and this is it! It’s easy, made with commonly available stuff. I added fresh parsley to the loaf and changed the glaze to use the one from my childhood (nostalgia!). I made 8 mini loaves to cut cooking time and for more surface area to glaze bc in a high-sauce girl. Thank you, love your recipes!!!
What glaze to you use? I’ve been looking around for a signature glaze and would love to hear yours!
These are great! Larger than I had imagined. So tasty with the potatoes and beans! Freezes excellent! Thanks
This has become a fave in our house. And I’ve started recommending it to friends who want to dabble in vegan cooking – bc it’s so easy, healthy and delicious!
Would these work well for prepping ahead of time, and then reheating in the oven before serving?
I used red lentils but would probably use brown/green canned ones next time as it was pretty mushy, even with extra breadcrumbs. With that said, they still tasted great and I loved the ketchup & balsamic glaze! I will never go back to plain old ketchup after this. Looking forward to meatloaf sandwiches tomorrow.
I have to comment because these meatloaves are so perfect! I can’t believe how simple the ingredients are, and they hold together so well. The leftovers are even better. I’m off to try all the other sheet pan dinners on the site…. And maybe make the Mississippi Mud Cheesecake from the cookbook!
I was sceptical, afraid that it would be too mushy and taste like lentils. They are delicious. A bit softer than meatloaf, but I like that they are made from lentils and not fake meat. I wasn’t going to put the glaze on because I’m not usually a fan of the glaze, but they looked dry when they started Baking so I brushed them with the glaze, no regrets at all. I will definitely make them again.
Yum, this was so good! When I pulled it out of the oven, my husband asked if it was Thanksgiving, lol. I was honestly skeptical of the meatloaves as I was mixing them up but they were seriously delicious and filled with flavor, and the simple green beans and potatoes complimented it perfectly. I’ll be making this again. 🙂
10/10 definitely going into my regular supper rotation.
What is the best way to reheat these if I need to make the meatloaves a day in advance? I’m making for a large group and need to manage oven time on the day of the event. Thanks!
These were amazing and so easy to make. As the lone vegetarian in the house I’ll be freezing the rest of the loaves for future dinners. These are the best lentil based loaves I’ve ever had!
This was SO delicious! This is actually a ‘meat’loaf I will make again. I didn’t have lentils so used one can kidney beans and one can black beans – ’cause that’s what I had. It was so tasty. Next time I’m going to dry out one can of beans and see if it makes the texture a little dryer – BUT these held together beautifully and were really, really good!!
I just had to come here and comment that this was well seasoned and so yummy and I didn’t even have any mushrooms but I just did without and it was still good! I even got my meat-eating partner to enjoy it. Hooray! Thank you for this lovely recipe!