Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy

Oh my gaaarsh, I am so excited for today’s post! After many months of planning Jessica’s virtual baby shower with the lovely + hilarious Bev, the big day is finally here! And all of her invisible internet friends are invited! If you read Jess’s blog, you know all about her invisible internet friends.

I created this fun/obnoxious photo-graphic which you may see floating around the blogosphere today. My goal was to make it as bright + over the top as possible, in true Jessica fashion. I think it was a success. Also, Jess is waiting to find out whether it’s a boy or girl, which made the sprinkle color combo super fun.

Sorry if you’re now blind.

How Sweet's Invisible Internet Friends Baby Shower | edibleperspective.com
How Sweet's Invisible Internet Friends Baby Shower | edibleperspective.com

Now.

Welcome back to earth tones.

And the sandwich that is going to make your fall food dreams come true.

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

The theme for Jessica’s virtual baby shower is “trashed up” recipes. Again, if you’re familiar with her blog then you definitely know this girl loves a good trashed up recipe.

Bev and I came up with a few of Jessica’s favorite recipe categories and invited a million of her friends to join in on the fun. Seriously, SIXTY-FIVE bloggers participated! Ah-mazing.

At the end of the post you’ll find the entire list of participants broken into recipe categories. Do not miss it!!

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

I finally settled on the burger category and took forever and a day to figure out what I was going to create. I wanted it to have multiple components, tons of flavor, an over the top photo shoot, and a few of Jessica’s favorite things [ie: veggie burgers, fried sage, brussels sprouts].

So here is your warning that this recipe takes some time. Especially if you’re making the mashed potatoes and gravy all in one day. You could definitely make those 1-2 days ahead of time and then the burger making isn’t too bad.

I do, however, highly recommend making each + every component of this recipe. You will not be disappointed.

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

The burgers took a little experimenting to get right. I really wanted them to be meatloaf-esque in texture + flavor and not just like a standard veggie burger. It ended up spot on! Nice and hearty but tender, just like traditional meatloaf.

I decided to bake these instead of pan-frying them which allowed the ketchup glaze to thicken up and keep the burgers moist.

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

After finally settling on a recipe [the first attempt had the texture of paste! ugh!] I split the recipe in half to test some of the burgers with a real egg and some with a flax-egg. After forgetting which burgers I had on which side I taste-tested them and could not tell a difference at all. No flax taste or weird gummy texture.

I’m beyond excited that this recipe can easily be made gluten-free and vegan from start to finish without anyone ever knowing.

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

And now for the best part.

The layering.

bun.

burger.

glaze.

mashed potatoes.

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

vegan mushroom gravy.

brussels sprouts.

fried sage.

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

I’m pretty sure I’d be happy with just this for Thanksgiving dinner.

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

Print this!

combine with:Easy Vegan Gravy + Mashed Potatoes

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy

gluten-free, vegan option // yields 7, 3-inch patties

meatloaf patties:

  • 2-3 teaspoons oil
  • 3/4 cup diced onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup diced mushrooms
  • 3/4 cup grated carrot
  • 3/4 cup chickpeas, rinsed + drained
  • 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon gluten-free worcestershire sauce, [vegan if needed]
  • 1 tablespoon gluten-free tamari
  • 3/4 cup green or brown lentils, rinsed + drained
  • 1 1/3 cups toasted gluten-free breadcrumbs*
  • 5 tablespoons finely ground cornmeal
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
  • 1 large egg, or 1 flax egg**

optional toppings:

  • 1/2 pound brussels sprouts, ends trimmed + thinly sliced
  • fried sage leaves

glaze:

  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons GF worcestershire sauce, [vegan if needed]

Heat a pan over medium heat with the oil. Once hot, add the onion and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until softened and translucent, stirring occasionally, 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds – 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes, until starting to cook down. Stir occasionally. Add the carrot and cook for 1 minute. Stir a few times. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5-10 minutes.

Place mixture in a large food processor along with the chickpeas, parsley, thyme, worcestershire sauce, and tamari. Pulse about 10-15 times, scraping the sides halfway through, until the mixture resembles the texture of egg/tuna salad. Add the lentils and pulse about 4 times. You want the lentils mostly in tact.

Empty mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the bread crumbs, cornmeal, and walnuts. Whisk the egg [or flax-egg] in a small bowl then stir into the mixture until thoroughly combined. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350° while resting.

Stir the glaze ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.

Line or lightly grease a large baking sheet. Scoop about 1/2 cup of the mixture into your hands and pass back and forth multiple times packing into a ball. The mixture will be wet but should hold together. Gently flatten between your palms to about 3/4-inch thick [~3-inch diameter], keeping the sides tight. Place on the baking sheet and repeat until all patties are formed.

Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully flip burgers over then top with a spoonful of glaze over each burger. Bake for another 9-12 minutes. Let rest for 3-5 minutes..

During the last 10 minute bake, heat a large pan over medium with about 2 teaspoons of oil. Cook the brussels sprouts with a bit of salt for about 8 minutes, stirring frequently until tender and starting to brown. Serve burgers on a bun with mashed potatoes, gravy, brussels sprouts, and fried sage.

……

Notes:

*To make toasted gluten-free breadcrumbs: Preheat oven to 350° F. Tear 4-5 slices of a gluten-free bread and place in your blender or food processor. Turn on until ground evenly into breadcrumbs. Spread breadcrumbs on an unlined baking sheet and bake for about 8-12 minutes until golden brown and crisp. Let cool. Start at the beginning of the recipe. Preheat your oven before chopping the onion.

**For the flax-egg: Whisk 1 tablespoon ground flax meal with 3 tablespoons warm water for 10 seconds. Set aside for 5 minutes. Incorporate into the mixture instead of a real egg at the same point in the recipe. When baking I make flax eggs with a bit less water but in this recipe you want the full 3T.

To make crispy fried sage: Heat a small sauté pan over medium-high and coat with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil or butter. Once fully preheated, place about 10 sage leaves in the pan and let crisp for about 20-30 seconds until the edges pull up and they just barely start to brown. Place on a paper towel lined plate and top with a sprinkle of salt. Repeat 2-3 more times.

Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving
Meatloaf Veggie Burger with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy | edibleperspective.com #vegan #glutenfree #thanksgiving

Kind of looks like a real burger, no?

And now I apologize if you get nothing done for the rest of the day.

I mean…

CHECK. THESE. OUT.

trashed up salads

  1. Gimme Some Oven - Asian Broccoli Salad with Peanut Sauce
  2. The Lemon Bowl - Brussels Slaw with Tahini Dressing and Za'atar Crostini
  3. With Style & Grace - Kale Salad with Apple, Hazelnuts & Bacon

trashed up cocktails

  1. Dine & Dish - Hot Buttered Rum Cocktail
  2. Food For My Family - Cranberry Orange Dark and Stormy Cocktail
  3. Minimalist Baker - Bourbon Pumpkin Milkshakes
  4. Stylish, Stealthy & (sometimes) Healthy - Apple Cider Shandy
  5. A Spicy Perspective - Preggy Punch Mocktail
  6. Girl vs. Dough - Boozy Maple Peanut Butter Cup Milkshake
  7. Honestly Yum - Maple Bacon Pisco Sour
  8. Cookin Canuck - Pink Grapefruit Margaritas
  9. A Thought For Food - Mezcal Citrico Cocktail
  10. A House in the Hills - Pomegranate Rosemary Spritzer
  11. The Novice Chef - Ginger Bourbon Apple Cider
  12. Bran Appetit - Citrus Cider Punch Floats

trashed up burgers

  1. Edible Perspective - Meatloaf Veggie Burgers with Mashed Potatoes + Gravy
  2. The Little Kitchen - Salmon BLT Sliders with an Avocado Aioli & Brie
  3. Daisy At Home - Balsamic Beef Burger with Mac and Cheese
  4. Cookies & Cups - Candied Bacon Maple Cheddar Burger
  5. Climbing Grier Mountain - Trashed-Up Steak Burger with Chicken Fried Bacon & Dijon Gravy
  6. Dessert For Two - Bleu Cheese Burgers + Sweet Potato Fries
  7. Country Clever - Fig Rosemary Roast Chicken Brie Brussels Sprout Panini
  8. Foodie Crush - The Best Cheeseburger Soup
  9. Lady and Pups - Spicy Sambal Chicken Meatball Sub with Eggs
  10. Two Peas & Their Pod - Sweet Potato and Kale Grilled Cheese
  11. Bake Your Day - Ultimate Breakfast Sandwich

trashed up tacos

  1. Spoon Fork Bacon - Crunchy Ground Beef and Cheesy Tacos
  2. The Fauxmartha - Boozy Beef and Butternut Tacos
  3. With Food + Love - Harvest Hash Breakfast Tacos
  4. Mountain Mama Cooks - Crispy Kale and Brussels Sprout Tacos with Bacon
  5. Heather Christo - Bahn Mi Tacos with Spicy Sriracha Honey Sauce
  6. A Couple Cooks - Loaded Huevos Rancheros Tacos
  7. Fitnessista - San Diego Lobster Street Tacos

trashed up desserts

  1. Table for Two - Salted Caramel, Dark Chocolate, and Brown Butter Shortbread Bars with Sprinkles
  2. My Name is Yeh - Mini Vanilla Loaf Cakes, All Trashed Up
  3. Picky Palate - Pumpkin Spice Butterscotch Sprinkle Cupcakes
  4. Sprinkle Bakes - Cake Batter Confetti Cupcakes
  5. Averie Cooks - Easy Homemade Funfetti Cake with Vanilla Buttercream
  6. Sweet Phi - Trashed Up Shortbread Cookie Bars
  7. Love & Olive Oil - Loaded Junk Food Brownies
  8. Lauren’s Latest - Bakery Sugar Cookies
  9. Cookie + Kate - Peanut Butter, Banana, Honey and Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
  10. Flourishing Foodie - Triple Layer Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
  11. The Sugar Hit - Salted Caramel Popcorn Ice Cream Cake
  12. Hummingbird High - Breakfast Cereal Cake Donuts
  13. Top With Cinnamon - Triple Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Crumb Cake
  14. Bake at 350 - Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sundaes
  15. Simple Bites - Lemon Layer Cake
  16. Bakerella - Baby Block Cake Pops
  17. She Wears Many Hats -  Chocolate Covered Grapefruit

trashed up pizza

  1. Bev Cooks - Beer Battered Fried Calamari Pizza
  2. Rachel Cooks - Apple and Chicken Sausage Pizza with Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Crust
  3. Foodie With Family - Trashed Up Barbecue Turkey Pizza
  4. Shutterbean - Pesto Potato Bacon Pizza
  5. i am a food blog - Grilled Cheese Pizza
  6. My Life as a Mrs - Chili Cheese Dog Pizza
  7. Simply Scratch - Steak + Blue Cheese Pizza with Crispy Fried Shallots and Honey Balsamic Drizzle
  8. The Beeroness - Beer Cheese Tater Tot Pizza
  9. Yes I Want Cake - Roasted Pumpkin Pizza
  10. Two Red Bowls - Bacon mashed potato pizza
  11. Dula Notes - Pork Bahn Mi Pizza
  12. Weelicious - Trashed Up Mexican Pizza Pockets
  13. Take a Megabite - Beet Peetza
  14. Hungry Girl Por Vida - Hard Cider Braised Pork with Sour Cherries and Cheesy Polenta
  15. Bakers Royale - Trash’d Street Tacos

Enjoy!! And happy virtual baby shower to Jess!! Love you, girl! xo

Ashley

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

Alternative title: Adventures in renovation land with a delicious recipe at the end.

We took on a large scale yard project this weekend. Maybe a little too large? But it was something that had to get done.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com

Imagine a flagstone patio that is 11 feet deep by 30 feet wide (the width of our house). Then imagine that this surface slopes down a couple inches in the direction of your house and slopes up towards the yard. Then imagine a huge rain storm and where that water goes. Are you with me?

It goes through your foundation.

I would love to have a nice little discussion with the previous owners who had this shoddy patio installed. It’s unbelievable how poorly it was done.

So if you can imagine, we had to lower the side that goes into the yard so it slopes down and away from the house. This means we had to dig deep. For some unknown reason we thought it could be done with shovels.

2 hours later we rented a dingo.

12 hours later we had about 12 tons of dirt to deal with. I’m not joking.

Are you having a panic attack yet? I am.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com

Luckily, we have generous and amazing friends who were there to help. I wasn’t able to help much with the labor because at this point it was a 3-person job. So then my goal became: keep these boys fed, make sure they have beer, make Home Depot runs, and post ads on Craigslist hoping people would come pick up the dirt.

We were able to offload about 1/2 of the dirt. Craigslist is an amazing thing. And now we’re using a service called Bagster to help haul the rest away. Oh, how I wish Bagster was sponsoring this post.Kidding. Maybe.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com

The boys worked past sunset after I purchased a few flood lights. They finally finished excavating around 10pm on Saturday. Sunday started bright + early filling the patio area with structural backfill [basically broken concrete] and then tamping it down with a gas powered tamper that shook the whole house.

Oh, did I forget to mention when we thought we smashed the clay sewer line?

Panic attack #2.

Luckily, it was just broken pieces of old clay pipe.

And then the sprinkler electrical line was accidentally cut through with a shovel. It had 14 electrical lines running through it. Chris got that fixed and then it was time to start leveling. Even with 2 civil engineers, a landscape architect, and a mathematician it was an undertaking.

By the end of Sunday a few of the flagstone pieces were set into place, but it’s an extremely tedious process. Thankfully, Chris numbered each stone with chalk and took a ton of photos so we could place each one back in the correct spot.

Now, the end of the patio sits a good 6 inches below the top of the ground. And this is where project #2 comes in. The water can’t just pool at the end of the patio below the ground line. We now have to dig out a 30 foot long by 5 feet wide by 8 inch deep area for the water to drain.

Did I mention the [mostly dead] tree that has to be cut down?

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com

I think I’ll stop there. It’s Monday and this just got a little too intense.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com

But if you live in Denver and know of a good landscaping company, please let me know!

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com

And now, we eat.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com

Print this!

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad

gluten-free, vegan // yields 3-4 large servings, or 6-8 side-dish servings

cauliflower + chickpeas:

  • 1 large head cauliflower
  • 2 1/2 cups chickpeas, rinsed + drained
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil
  • 3 tablespoons thinly sliced shallot
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 3/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, not oil packed
  • 1/3 cup sliced kalamata olives
  • 5oz mixed baby greens
  • fresh thyme or oregano

dressing:

  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons cashew butter, or almond butter
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
  • salt + pepper

Preheat your oven to 400° F.

Chop cauliflower into 1-2 bite pieces and place on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Roast for about 30 minutes, turning once halfway through, until tender and starting to brown. 

At the same time, place chickpeas on another large baking sheet and toss with 1/2 teaspoons oil, salt, and pepper. Roast chickpeas for about 20-25 minutes, turning once halfway through. They should be starting to split open and crisp a bit. Turn oven down to 350° F. Add the garlic and shallot and toss together with another drizzle of oil. Roast until the garlic and shallot are just starting to turn golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Stir a few times and watch closely so it doesn’t burn. Add the olives and sun-dried tomatoes in the last 2-3 minutes to warm.

While roasting, place all dressing ingredients with about 1/4 teaspoon salt + pepper in a jar or sealable container and shake until fully combined. Set aside and shake before pouring. Store excess sealed in the fridge.

Remove both pans from the oven and toss together on one pan. Toss with desired amount of dressing. Taste, and add more salt + pepper if needed. Place mixed greens on a large platter and top with roasted salad. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fresh thyme. Serve extra dressing on the side.

Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com
Roasted Cauliflower and Chickpea Salad | edibleperspective.com

Thanks for listening to my weekend yard rant. If you like landscaping and live in Denver we have extra shovels.

Ashley