I think of meatloaf as one of those meals that just never ends up tasting bad.  I mean, sure, some batches of meatloaf are better than others, but in the end, a loaf of meat is a loaf of meat.

But the Omnivore, on the other hand, is somewhat of a connoisseur of meatloaf.  Yes.  He will drive 130 miles to another state to acquire the famous Mr. Jeffcoat’s meatloaf.  He’s been known to give a frozen lump of this stuff as a gift.  Now, I cannot attest to how delicious this meal is first hand, but I can think of very few dinners that would get me in a car for two hours…

And then there’s the time we make a 5 hour detour on the way home from Tennessee through Atlanta to stop at some diner in Buckhead for their famous meatloaf sandwich.  Now that was a disaster.  Not because the meatloaf was bad.  The meatloaf held its own.  I think.  Again, can’t say that I ate that loaf either.  The problem was the headache that ensued for 3-4 weeks later.  You see, I’d left my wallet in the diner.

So, clearly, when it comes to meatloaf and the Omnivore, it is best not to attempt to match what he considers a good loaf.  He’s happy to eat my meatloaf, though, as long as I don’t try to pass it off as Mr. Jeffcoat’s or Buckhead Diner’s dinner.

I have two other vegetarian meatloafs (meatloaves?) in my blog.  One calls for lentils.  The other calls for nuts.  This one calls for beans.  All three are delicious.  All three are unique.  The Omnivore couldn’t choose a favorite.

Cowboy Meatloaf (6 servings adapted from Cooking Light)
2  teaspoons  olive oil
1  cup  chopped onion
1/2  cup  chopped celery
1 cup  diced green bell pepper
1 1/2  teaspoons ground cumin
2  garlic cloves, minced
1/2  cup  barbecue sauce, divided
2  cups  mashed cooked peeled baking potato
1  cup  regular oats
1/4  cup  ketchup
1  tablespoon  Dijon mustard
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  pepper
16-ounce beans, kidney, black OR pinto, mashed

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and next 5 ingredients; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup barbecue sauce, potato, and the next 7 ingredients (potato through beans). Spoon the potato mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and a run a knife along the border of the pan.  Place baking sheet on top of loaf pan and flip entire ensemble over to release meatloaf from the loaf pan onto the baking sheet.  Brush 1/4 cup barbecue sauce over loaf.  Bake an additional 10 minutes, let rest 5-10 minutes before slicing.